Dictation start

No, it won’t get easier, but you will get more relaxed about it :). The curriculum guide has dictation listed as starting in 4th grade. From our own experiences, that has been a good age to start. By then, the mechanics of writing are well in place, freeing up the child to concentrate on listening rather than listening and then trying to remember how to form the letters.

Blessings,

Cindy

It really depends on the child. Don’t go by age (or grade) but by stage. My daughter is 6 and is fully able to handle dictation exercises, not only that but actually enjoys doing them! She is hardly like a “typical” first grader. She learns and knows things up to a fifth grade level. It varies from subject to subject, but reading is a huge strong point for her, so it helps her excel in other areas, including comprehension and spelling. Dictation serves for many things, including listening skills, memory retention, concentration, handwriting plus more!

I read a piece on the “how to’s” of dictation and what we do is, once we start, she is not allowed to talk or ask questions. She just does the best she can do. At times I will voluntarily spell out a long word for her, either by dictating or writing it on the white board. 🙂 You do what you believe your child can do based on her capabilities, not age/grade. Use age/grade loosely, as a guide, not a rule. 🙂