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What do you use for dictation passages with your older kids doing Bigger using the Extension pack? Do you just pick a passage from something they are reading? And is that how you would do spelling as well? Just through the dictation passages? Sorry if this is obvious - I have looked for this answer and haven't found it? Thanks!!

If your older children (or younger) have mastered the spelling lists in Bigger...you would use the dictation passages that are included in the appendix. That is in place of/the same as spelling; it's to be done perfectly/mastered over time. We are not into Bigger...yet, but I thought if this seemed too easy for my older child, I might do two passages at a time, or try a poem or scripture passage? Hopefully Carrie will answer this for all of us!

Thanks, inHisTiming. My oldest is past the level of dictation in the Bigger manual. And I do want some kind of plan for that in order to improve her spelling as well. I know some people just use Bible verses for dictation. I was wondering if Carrie had a plan she follows for dictation for her older kids?

I'm not sure...but I think she continues in Preparing with dictation; I would expect it to continue in difficulty. She will be able to tell you specificly what she has planned. The samples for Preparing will be up on the site by the end of April, then you'll be able to read the first week's plan for that.

HappyatHome,

We do continue with more difficult levels of dictation passages in "Preparing...". However, if your child happens to be beyond the passages in "Bigger...", you could easily pick your own sentences Charlotte-Mason style from what your child is reading.

In the upper forms (or years) Charlotte Mason told students which paragraph or passage to study from their reading. Then, she chose a portion from that passage to dictate to the child. Usually several sentences up to a paragraph in length.

In the beginning the child only studied exactly what would be dictated. Later, CM advocated having the child study a larger passage, not knowing which portion would be dictated.

When we first started studied dictation with my own son (prior to finding the dictation passages based on spelling rules that we include in our HOD guides), we used selections from The New England Primer and Noah Webster's Blueback Speller. But, it would be just as easy to select passages from your child's literature or history readings (as long as they are of high quality).

I would begin with several sentences and begin by telling the child exactly which sentences to study. Then, dictate by phrase (no repeating) and have the child check his work against the original passage. If it is not perfect, the same passage is studied and dictated the next day until it is written perfectly. Studying the passage first is very important for fixing the correct spellings in the child's mind and seeing it correctly prior to writing. This CM -method of studied dictation is in contrast to the classical method of dictation, which does not have the child study the passage first.

Blessings,
Carrie

Thanks so much, Carrie. That's exactly the information I was looking for!

HappyatHome,

One more CM-style dictation tip is to have you, or your child, write any words she thinks may be a problem from the passage (ahead of time) on a markerboard with a black marker (to further place the image of the correct spelling in her mind). Then, she can let you know she's ready for dication after that. If she's a good speller, she probably won't need that step.

Also, when we first started dictation, I would have my older son count capital letters and punctuation marks in the passage to make sure he noticed them all and then repeated them all in his re-write.

Blessings,
Carrie