Dictation questions...

[butterfly113]

I know this has been asked, but could not find the posts. sigh.
How do you know what level to start? I will be using Preparing, and am thinking level 3... but some of it looks too simple for DS, yet some of level 4 is a little long.
Am I correct in understanding that he looks at it first... then I read it to him. I read it one sentence at a time, he repeats it orally and then writes it. Then we do the next sentence the same way until the passage is complete?
If someone could give me a little more clarity for the placement, or a link to another post that would be great! Thanks ladies!

[netpea]

I think you understand it fine. You don't have to start at the beginning of level 3, you could start in the middle if that looks like where he belongs.

[Carrie]

Butterfly,

Netpea is right. You can easily start in the middle of a level if needed. Just make sure that your child studies the entire passage on his/her own first. Then, your child hands the guide to you to dictate the passage a phrase at a time. The parent is supposed to only say the phrase once to encourage careful listening habits in the child. The child repeats the phrase and then writes it down. You continue dictating in this manner until the entire passage is written (however the child does not get to look at the passage except at the very beginning of the dictation session and at the very end to check his/her work). Does that make sense?

You do not move onto a new passage, until the previous passage is written perfectly with all capitalization, punctuation, and spelling correct. You only dictate once each day never doing a passage more than once in a day.

If your child is moving steadily ahead each day with dictation, only repeating a passage once or possibly twice a week than you are at the right level of dictation. It is better to err on the side of being too easy than having it be too hard and be frustrating.



Blessings,
Carrie

[6timeboymom]

oooh, I don't let my boys repeat it back to me! now THAT might help!
(talk about a lightbulb moment for me just now!)

[Carrie]

Darci,

Isn't it amazing when you've been doing something awhile, and then find a new tip that makes a BIG difference. I have that happen to me often during my teaching career! Those moments are priceless as I find the fine-tuning makes all the difference!

Blessings,
Carrie