From Our House to Yours:
Drawn into the Heart of Reading Vocabulary WorkÂ
Heart of Dakota’s (HOD’s) Drawn into the Heart of Reading (DITHOR) program includes vocabulary assignments. You can find these vocabulary assignments in the DITHOR Teacher’s Guide Appendix. As you are teaching your way through DITHOR, you may have noticed vocabulary assignments are sometimes noted as ‘optional.’ For example, on days 2, 7, and 12 of each genre in Level 2/3, vocabulary is optional. Likewise, on days 3, 8, and 13 of each genre in Level 4/5, it is optional. However, on days 2, 7, and 12 of each genre in Level 6/7/8, vocabulary is not optional. At this level, vocabulary assignments are not in the Appendix. Rather, they are part of the daily plans in DITHOR 6/7/8’s Student Book. So, why are they optional in levels 2/3 and 4/5?
Heart of Dakota’s guides include vocabulary assignments already.
The vocabulary assignments within DITHOR is generally intended for students who are not using HOD’s core guides alongside DITHOR.  Bigger Hearts for His Glory (BHFHG) includes vocabulary work each week. Preparing Hearts for His Glory and Creation to Christ do as well. So, unless you would like to add more vocabulary work to your student’s day, you would omit the vocabulary activities in DITHOR while doing these guides. Of course, if you do want extra vocabulary work, the vocabulary activities in DITHOR can be used in any order during any year of DITHOR. Once students reach level 6/7/8, vocabulary work specific to DITHOR instruction is excellent preparation for high school level literature work.
So, if you are doing a core HOD guide, there is no need to do the optional DITHOR vocabulary assignments! Just one more reason to use all of HOD! It makes your days easier by making sure there’s no doubling up!
Julie
