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Dictation improves your child’s listening and
note-taking skills, while ingraining punctuation and improving spelling
skills. Dictation gradually teaches your child skills that will nurture the
great writer within them. By utilizing dictation, you do not need to
purchase a grammar curriculum. In the next few paragraphs, I have laid out
the procedure for using dictation on a weekly basis.
Choose your dictation from Bible verses, poems, quotes,
paragraphs from your readers, and even copy-work from your own studies.
Start with short passages for beginners, that they will be able to copy on
their own. As your child becomes more experienced, lengthen the dictation.
In time, they should be able to take down whole chapters of Scripture.
Give your child a model of the dictation at the
beginning of the week. Have him or her copy it into their notebook to
familiarize themselves with spelling, punctuation, and form. Present any
grammar rules at this time.
On the day of the dictation lesson, allow your child to
read over the assignment. Review grammar rules, and ask if they have any
words they do not know how to spell. If they have any, instruct your child
to write them down on a separate piece of paper to become more familiar with
the word and practice spelling. Remove this paper before you dictate the
lesson. Give the dictation slowly, spelling difficult words and providing
punctuation when necessary. Repeat each phrase only once. Allow your child
to read his or her dictation back to you. Finally, have them edit their own
work using the model copy-work.
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Children’s Guide to the Bible, by Robert Willoughby – you can
use this book for simple paragraphs.
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In the Days of Noah, by Gloria Clanin – you will find
paragraphs for dictation that are more complex than the above book
contains.
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Adam and His Kin, by Ruth Beechick – filled with fun and
interesting passages to use for dictation.
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Josephus, The Essential Writings – contains articulate
passages to dictate. This will require an older and more experienced
child.
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As your children become accustomed to dictation, you can use whole
chapters from the Bible.
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Use any book that coordinates with your history study.
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