DITHOR- yes or no? Please only respond if you have actually TRIED it.

[lotsofpumpkins]

I purchased DITHOR (Drawn into the Heart of Reading) to possibly use with my rising 3rd grader. I had read reviews and looked at samples, and now I've actually looked over the books in person. I'm still not sure I want to use it. I noticed that many of the comments about DITHOR are from those who have only looked at samples. I'd like to hear from those of you who have actually given it a try (even if it was only for a few days!). I'm tired of trying things and then dropping/changing them, so I'd rather just figure this one out before we even start, if that's at all possible! My alternative is just having dd read books and keep some kind of reading journal using some of Daisy's ideas that I found in another thread.

 

Thanks in advance for helping me to decide! :)

[Sue G in PA]

We did try DITHOR but I really didn't give it half a chance. I voted that we tried it and didn't like it, but we are trying it again next year with HOD's curriculum. My kids didn't mind it...in face we did have some nice discussions about the books they read b/c of DITHOR.

[Tree House Academy]

We tried DITHR and we loved it. One drawback...you really need to either read the book with the child (ie - have him read the book to you) or pre-read it. While the workbook is amazing and thought-provoking, the parent has little ability to help the child unless they know what is going on in each individual book. No answer key - no guide, but some truly amazing, character-building, Christian based analysis. If I had some kind of teacher answer key and didn't have to read the books along with him, it would have been PERFECT.

 

That said, we are giving it another go this fall. :) He will be reading aloud to me.

[robsiew]

I did do a year of it last year. I like it, but not for 2nd grade. My 2nd grader was just not at the point where he could analyze things the way they needed to be to fill in the sheets. I ended up doing most of the work for him. He did enjoy the projects, although for me they were a ton of extra work to help him along. (again, I think 2nd grade was too young)

 

I think with an older child ready for more analyzing it could be good. I liked that we read many different genres. As a pp noted, you really have to know the books and I just don't have time to do that with 4 kids so it wasn't overly feasible for me.

 

I think it's a great curriculum, well thought out and well written. Lots of good things, just didn't work for us.

[Tidbits of Learning]

I tried it several times in a short while. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't seem to get started good with it. It really seemed to take the love of reading out of it for us. That said, I had bought the student book and like the emergency options instead of trying to wade through and implement the actual giant green DITHOR book.

[lovetobehome]

I tried it several times in a short while. It really seemed to take the love of reading out of it for us.

 

We tried it on two separate occasions...two years. I just found it was adding more busywork to our day. I would rather just read and discuss...

[MIch elle]

I tried DITHOR and didn't care for in in the upper level not in grade 3. Look at Evan Moor literature: http://www.evan-moor.com/Series.aspx?CurriculumID=5&ClassID=167&SeriesID=82 I like this better than DITHOR for younger dc. Also CLE reading is excellent.

[lotsofpumpkins]

I tried DITHOR and didn't care for in in the upper level not in grade 3. Look at Evan Moor literature: http://www.evan-moor.com/Series.aspx?CurriculumID=5&ClassID=167&SeriesID=82 I like this better than DITHOR for younger dc. Also CLE reading is excellent.

 

I'm thinking of using CLE reading starting in 4th grade, but for now I just want her reading "real books". If I'm remembering correctly, CLE reading is just 5 Light Units in 4th grade so we will have time to do both.

 

I'll check out the Evan Moor books. We are using history pockets this year and my dd loves that kind of thing.

[Donna T.]

I like it but I can't fit it in every day. We use it a few days a week. I wish I could fit it in more often and I would if the lessons didn't take us as long as they do. My son really gets into it now and enjoys discussing the book and talking through the things he is going to write down about it before he actually does that, so the lessons take concentrated time - 30 to 45 minutes usually. I have found it to be very flexible. I let him read the book at his own pace and we work on the workbook a few days a week. I don't match it all up before hand like the book suggests.

 

I haven't found it necessary to read the books ahead of time. My son is 11, a strong reader, and very accustomed to narration. I trust that he is understanding the books. That's not something I've ever concerned myself with. If he gets stuck on a question, we skim the text until we figure it out or we skip it and go to the next thing. At this age, I'm not looking for an exhaustive study, just an intro. to basic literary terms.

 

For us, 5th grade was a good age to start DITHOR. My youngest son will start it earlier because he finds it interesting and he wants to participate but I will keep it all oral for him through atleast 3rd grade and probably for 4th also. You do not have to do the writing. You can just discuss the workbook pages and enjoy some of the projects.

 

I just tried one of the genres with my youngest son (2nd grade) and he enjoyed it. Together, we decided to try a lap book so we are doing one on Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit. That's not a part of DITHOR but it's an example of how I use it... I don't stick right to it. We use it at our own pace and use it to generate our own ideas about things to do with books.

Edited April 15, 2010 by Donna T.

[daybreaking]

I tried DITHOR and didn't care for in in the upper level not in grade 3. Look at Evan Moor literature: http://www.evan-moor.com/Series.aspx?CurriculumID=5&ClassID=167&SeriesID=82 I like this better than DITHOR for younger dc. Also CLE reading is excellent.

 

How long does CLE reading take you each day, including any instructional time? Does it change year by year? Thanks!

[chiguirre]

I used with ds to study one of the Peggy Parrish mysteries. It was okay, but only okay. I wouldn't use it all the time, but I'm not going to get rid of it either because I can see us getting it out again. I wouldn't buy it new, but if you find it used at a good price, it's a useful resource to have on hand. It is very easy to use secularly, IMHO. I don't remember having to skip anything, I did rephrase the character discussion.

[mom2boys030507]

I have used it four or five times. For us it does a great job of introducing different story elements and provides a jumping off point for discussions. My biggest issue is that DITHOR wants you to read the books to slowly and that drives my son up the wall. I want him to enjoy reading not be frustrated that he has to stop. I have modified it to fit the number of chapters in a book or done 3 books each for 5 days or what ever is appropriate. My son is on the very young side to be using DITHOR so while I like it we only use it a few times each year and the rest of the year, he just reads and we discuss.

[HollyDay]

Love it!! I bought it after my (now 8th grader) dd began to really tire of BJU reading. We were at the semester break of 5th grade. She loved DITHOR. I then started using DITHOR with my youngest after she completed BJU 2. We have never looked back. It has greatly increased their love of reading. Finding books in the various genres has not been overly difficult either. My oldest of course has moved beyond DITHOR, but I will continue the program another 2 years with my youngest. So, I've gotten 5 years out of this program. I think that is a record for me!

[freeindeed]

DITHOR had a "school-at-home" feeling, which isn't our preferred method.

[lotsofpumpkins]

DITHOR had a "school-at-home" feeling, which isn't our preferred method.

 

That's the impression I'm getting from looking over the TM.

[MIch elle]

How long does CLE reading take you each day, including any instructional time? Does it change year by year? Thanks!

 

CLE LA 7 has them read But Not Forsaken so ds read that; now he's reading a book that is taking him 3 weeks until April school vacation (next week). He'll finish the last reading LU in May.

 

It takes my ds about 45 min to do CLE reading (read & workbook). It doesn't change much from yr. to yr.