Long days...will they get shorter?

[snadig]

Hello Everyone.

Well we are new this school year and I was very excited to get started. We are finishing up our second week, but the days are taking a long time. I am not sure if it is just because we are new to HOD and getting use to the flow, but I am getting a bit tired. We don't get done sometimes until 4. I do take 45min to an hour lunch break, but we all really need it.

I do have some character training issues, with kids not wanting to get things done, maybe that is what is slowing us down. My dd is struggling with managing her time and hates to write, and fell over crying with dictation, so I moved her to a really easy level to build her confidence, she is a poor speller. We are doing All About Spelling to help this area, that is why we are doing Preparing, she can read 6th - 7th grade level, so I think this is still a good fit. I love what we are doing, and so happy we switch from Sonlight. Just looking for some encouragement.

On another note I have a question regarding my ds. He is doing Beyond, and doing well, except he does not like to write. We have used Handwriting with out tears and his writing is good for a 7 year boy, but it can be a battle to get him to do his copy work. I try to keep it to 10 min. Would you keep doing a handwritng program? Any ideas on what else to do, or should I just keep on? He is past most phonics, and I do All About Spelling with him on the marker board. He doesn't do any other writing, should I have him doing more writing?

The other thing is he is reading everything. I thought he was getting stronger, but still needed the emerging readers, but he has read all of them and told me about them. So I was thinking of moving him into the DITHR level 2/3 when we switch geners, but I was worried about the writing. Any ideas.
Thanks for any help.

[MelInKansas]

The only thing I can speak to is the Beyond and handwriting. My DD who is finishing up Beyond hated the copywork when we first started. It's not intended for you to also do a handwriting program, the copywork is supposed to be their handwriting (and when I add more now is when my DD really complains). I wasn't really clear on how to do the copywork, so I asked for some advice on here and what I received was that 1) the child should be required to do as much copywork as they can do well, even if it's only 1 line a day 2) they should know that they should do their very best work and be proud of doing it well. Between working through attitudes and me backing off on how much I was requiring her to do, we made progress and her handwriting is now much better than it was, though she still doesn't like copywork, at least now she does it without complaining and of course it has gotten easier for her over the year. Julie (my3sons) posted a really good post about how she talks to her son(s) about the fact that copywork is building up your writing muscles, just like in sports you practice again and again to build up those muscles.

As far as Emerging Readers - they are supposed to read them aloud to you. My DD reads a lot of books to herself, and can usually tell me the main ideas and some things that happen in them, but we are at the end of Emerging Readers and she doesn't always read them correctly when she reads aloud to me. The books she reads to herself are "harder" than ER books, but again, when she's reading to herself she doesn't always get all the words right, I'm quite sure. So having him read to you will help him refine his reading (though you have older kids, I suppose you don't need to hear that from me). Also if you do decide to do DITHOR make sure you pick books at a level a little lower than his actual reading level so he can get into it and it will be hard work for him, so don't make it any harder than you have to. We are getting ready to start DITHOR soon so I had asked on here because a lot of the books listed for the beginning level are too easy for my DD, at least if they were readers just for fun.

[mom23]

On Preparing and time management-some kids do well with a timer. Set it for how long something should take her, and when the timer goes off the rest could be set aside for "homework" and completed after school. That would maybe work well for her independent boxes. You may also consider going half speed for a while and working with her, training her on how to do the boxes, follow the directions, stay on task. I don't know...my dd and I still struggle on this one, too! On dictation and the tears... poor girl! You likely have a great idea to back up to something that can build her confidence. How are you doing the dictation, though? Only read to her a short phrase-maybe even a couple of words at a time to begin with. Have her repeat back to you what you said and then write it. I read Julie recommend in a recent post on choosing dictation levels that it's probably a good fit if they're having to repeat a passage once or twice a week. If they're trying over and over and cannot get it right day after day try an easier level.

On Beyond and DITHR-it's alright to begin this with you doing the handwriting. Have him dictate the answers and you fill out the book. Then move to having him tell you answers and you write them on a whiteboard and let him copy them down in his book from there. I wouldn't hesitate to stay with you writing them out for him for quite a while, though. Sometimes it takes quite a while for their muscles to develop and strengthen so that writing is comfortable for them. It's okay, the copywork will work on that. He'll get there! I set our timer for 5 mins. for copywork, but you'll know your ds best and maybe 10 is what he needs.

Hang in there!

[blessedmomof4]

On dictation-you do not need another spelling program if you are doing dictation. Dictation should only take about five to ten minutes each day it is scheduled. Have your dd study the passage. You can point out punctuation and difficult words, even write them on a white board, or have her do that. When she is done studying, erase the board and read the dictation to her one phrase at a time. Have her repeat the phrase to you, then she writes it down in her notebook. Continue in this fashion until she is done with the passage. If you do it this way, she will improve over time. If you are already doing it this way and she still makes many errors on the same passage day after day, then definitely move her back to a level where she can have better success. Remember the dictation levels are not grade levels, so just choose whichever level works best for her.

[Tree House Academy]

Sounds like you have a lot of things working against you time-wise. Do you have a schedule set for when each child completes each subject? If not, while running 3 guides, you need one. If you have an independent learner, then schedule the time you work with the ones that need you most during the time when the independent learner is working on his/her own.

I would have your younger child do all of the writing required in Beyond (which, if I remember correctly, isn't much at all) because each guide builds on the last and the writing is pretty intensive starting around Preparing and on up.

I agree - spelling program OR dictation...but not both.

If you can give us a rundown of your current day, I'd say we can help you more with a schedule or advice to shorten your hours of school considerably. I run two guides (Rev to Rev and Preparing this year). My oldest son finishes Rev to Rev in about 6 hours with a few small breaks. My younger son completes Preparing (with an add on of Latin and Writing) in around 4 hours with a few short breaks.

[snadig]

Ladies thank you so much for your input.This board has helped me so much.


We start at or around 8:30. I am trying to get them to do all of their learning the basics in the morning, as they seem more alert. Then after lunch and a break do the left side of the guide. They may have a few short breaks( 5-10) in between things, but am trying to use a timer to keep everyone on track. That is helping. I do think the attitudes of not wanting to do things plays a big part in how the days goes.

I think I understand copy work, do it well and neatly for short amount of time. I am going to make sure to do this next week. We are not doing any handwriting program, we did Hand writing without tears last 2 years. I am doing the guide as written except in the case of spelling.

Spelling- I struggle with the idea of a list. It didn't work for my daughter in school. I like dictation, but my older daughter has been doing it for 2 years (Sonlight). She struggles with it, I am sure we were not doing it correctely, so am hopeful this will work. We are starting with an easier level and see how she does. I am going to try to keep doing AAS with her as we had a big break this friday with understanding how to figure out how to spell a big word, but am open to the idea of ditching it if we just can't keep up. As for my son I go both ways, I think the AAS could take the place of phonics and teach spelling at the same time, this is why I didn't finish the Horizons phonics, it was teaching the same thing in spelling. His reading is great, and I see him remembering how to spell things from what we learned in AAS, but would like to move him into dictation maybe next year or the following, when his writing isn't such a chore for him.

I am trying to do the guides as written, and if things don't work out better in the next 2 weeks,we will ditch AAs and start with the list for my son and do just dictation for my daughter.

As for reading with my son, I have decided to keep doing the emerging readers and just move up in the schedule to some of the more challenging books. I think reading aloud is good, and this will just help make sure he is getting it. Then he will be a stronger writer when we start DITHR.

My older daughter is doing most of her guide Independently, but I am trying to check in with her. She is loving the fact that she is in charge of going through the guide. She is doing a great job. So proud of her!

Ladies these last 2 weeks have been a big blur, but yesterday God blessed me with some happy kids. My older daughter was so excited with her science (she hated science and school in general the last couple of years.) This almost made me cry. Then my middle daughter who also was just not liking school anymore, told our neighbors we are actually doing things that are fun! I thought I would pass out when she said that, as she has been pretty stubborn lately.

We are having minor issues, but the big picture is God has blessed us with a wonderful curriculum and I thank Him for this. Carrie thank you so much for your hard work and commitment to God!

[frankesense]

As for reading with my son, I have decided to keep doing the emerging readers and just move up in the schedule to some of the more challenging books. I think reading aloud is good, and this will just help make sure he is getting it. Then he will be a stronger writer when we start DITHR.

I just wanted to add that the Emerging Readers books not only work on fluency and comprehension but if you use the questions and schedule for the Emerging Readers in the Appendix of the Beyond guide, it actually also helps prepare them for skills needed for the DITHOR reading program and improves narrating skills.

Stephanie