Minor and rhythm
Write down melodies in minor, with eighths and dotted rhythms.
A dictation in minor
In minor the anchor notes are different: the tonic of A minor is A4, and the tonic triad is A, C and E. Before the dictation, sing the tonic and the triad in your head: it makes it easier to sense where the melody is heading.
If the melody ends on the tonic and sounds dusky, check the key signature: A minor has none, like C major.
A melody in A minor with two eighth notes
Practice: A dictation in A minor
Rhythm first
Once eighths and dotted notes appear, it helps to split the work. First write down the rhythm (you can simply tap it), then place the pitches.
A dotted quarter note followed by an eighth note is a dotted rhythm: a long note and a short one, "taa-ti".
A melody opening with a dotted rhythm
Count the beats in your head: "one-and, two-and". Eighths fall on "one" and "and", while the short eighth after a dotted quarter falls on "and" only.