woodwojr wrote:

This is a deeply dangerous approach due to Heisig's pathologically bad choice of keywords. I can't even begin to guess what that approach would have you assume for, say, 何処.

~J

I know when you get stuff like above its a problem. But even if you know the dictionary definition to a word (in english or japanese) that can often end up a problem as some reading are not regular and some english definitions don't help you no matter what reading you have.  But you have this problem where you have not done all of the books and your doing some kinda course and you need to bring them together. I look all the new vocab words up in the dictionary and if I know the kanji I write the word in a kanji-hiragana mix if I have to. The often means I know several readings for kanji, plus heisigs weird keyword.

The doko example above I came across when I was looking something up. When I looked up nani/what in the Kodansha's kanji learners dictionary it wasn't listed. I do have it in my SRS but thought it was an oddity(have found several places where kanji listed in one source and its in hiragana in another). do is not listed as one of the readings for 'what' so you have to learn that as an exception anyhow.

I am not really strict on the heisig keywords, I do them more as ideas than must be the exact word. So for present I know its the time and not the gift (well thats what heisig says - the dictionary says reason/basic principle).

I would rather do away with any of the english but for a while you need some kinda help/stepping stone.