Do kids just read books for Drawn into the Heart of Reading?
Questions pour into Heart of Dakota every day. As a placement specialist and homeschool mom of 25 years, I love connecting with homeschool families! Together, we find answers to those questions, and we make some pretty amazing action plans. These talks have been such a blessing, that it occurred to me they might be to you as well… and that is where this “Let’s Talk” series came from. So, busy homeschool mom… pull up a chair, take a much-deserved break, and “Let’s Talk” about… Do kids just read books for Drawn into the Heart of Reading?
The Paraphrased Question or Query
My three kids read, but they don’t choose good books. They also pick the same kind of books every time, unfortunately. I want to switch to Heart of Dakota this year, and when I look at Drawn into the Heart of Reading, I really like the books I see. I grew up as an avid reader, and I see some of my favorites there. Last year for standardized testing, my kids didn’t know the answers to some questions.
My daughter asked me what made something fiction or nonfiction. My other daughter said she couldn’t figure out which came first, effect or cause, and she also didn’t get the numbers for points of view. I remember learning this stuff. The last reading curriculum I used didn’t cover this. I like the look of what I see on the website, but do kids just read books for Drawn into the Heart of Reading (DITHOR)?
So, what’s the story with DITHOR?
Drawn into the Heart of Reading (DITHOR) is so much more than just reading books! I used it for several decades with my own sons, and it was a favorite part of our homeschool journey. It prepared them so well for high school level literature, it was Christian, and it was simply a joy to do!
DITHOR offers a complete reading program, and your kiddos would have been prepared to answer those test questions! Genre kick-offs, prereading activities, story element lessons, Godly character trait lessons, vocabulary activities, discussion questions, graphic-organized workbooks, and creative projects all work together to create a thorough approach to reading.
DITHOR includes 9 units with complete reading plans focused on 9 different literature genres. So if your kiddos are stuck reading the same-old, same-old books, they will find new books to enjoy! The program’s design ensures your children will read from every type of literature, creatively learn needed skills for each genre, respond using various learning styles, and discover new kinds of books to love.
Each DITHOR unit matches each genre to one story element and one major Godly character trait, which brings me to my next point. DITHOR does not leave God out either! Each Godly trait is paired with a definition and a key Scripture verse. Character trait lessons ask parents and students to share personal examples, compare Biblical characters to book characters, and compare Biblical characters to themselves. As students search their hearts for traits to work on, they set goals to do just that. This heartfelt process teaches children to weigh the actions and attitudes of book characters and themselves in light of the Bible. You’d mentioned you don’t like the books your kiddos are choosing. Well, DITHOR’s Godly traits and plans will help them choose better!
Let’s Talk the Details
The nine genres in DITHOR can be taught in any order, so you can start with your child’s favorite type of book. The complete program includes the Drawn into the Heart of Reading Teacher’s Guide, a choice of 3 levels of Drawn into the Heart of Reading Student Books (2/3, 4/5, 6/7/8), and a choice of 3 levels of Book Projects to Send Home. You can  click here to see samples of the teacher’s guide and student books. You can also click on each of Drawn into the Heart of Reading’s components below to read specifically about each of them…
Drawn into the Heart of Reading Teacher’s Guide
2/3 Student Book, 4/5 Student Book, 6/7/8 Student Book
Book Projects to Send Home: Grade 2 (used with the 2/3 level), Grade 4 (used with the 4/5 level), and Grade 5 (used more independently with the 6/7/8 level)
Use your own books, slotting them into the appropriate genre. Or, use DITHOR’s book packs, which as you mentioned, include so many classic favorites that have stood the test of time!
Finally, for even more details, check out this blog post…
DITHOR: A Multi-Level Reading Program That Works with Any Books
