Classical Education: Narrations

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Classical Education: Narrations

It is one of the most elusive words a homeschooler can hear, “narration.” It seems like a very simple concept, you read and your child tells you what they learned from the reading. It sounds very simple, doesn’t it? It is actually a skill that needs to be taught, modeled and practiced. Are you a storyteller? Are you able to read a paragraph yourself and retell it in your own words with clarity? Try it. Pick up your favorite book and read a paragraph, and retell it to a friend or spouse or write down your narration.

Next step, have your child read a selection to you and narrate it for him. If you find it easy, then you’re ready to teach your child to do it. You will be able to model it for your child until he or she is able to mimic your lead. If you’re unable to do it, then it’s time to take baby steps to learn how.

Common everyday conversations are the easiest way to start the narration process. Repeat what someone else have told you in your own words. This is also used in effective communication, a building tool to become a good listener. Your spouse says it’s going to rain next Tuesday and you simply repeat, “Next Tuesday, the forecaster says it is likely to rain.” Practice doing this for a while. I’m sorry it seems very simple but truly it is one of the areas that most adults need improvement, their listening and comprehension skills. With your child, have them repeat back any directions you give them during the course of the day. You tell your son to gather his dirty laundry, before he leaves to do it, have him repeat what you said. Once this practice is common, you’re ready to move on to applying the skill to reading.

A common mistake that homeschoolers make is to select just any reading material to narrate from, including texts that are dry and boring for their children. Would you want to narrate from a scientific journal or from your favorite novel? It’s the same for your children, so set them up to succeed by requesting them to retell a story they love. You may want to read a selection for a couple of days repeating it each time before you ask your child to retell it.

Don’t expect perfection, if your child retells the selection without using complete sentences, that’s fine. Applaud their effort and remember that narration is a skill that needs to be built. Use short selections such as fables at first, in fact fables are an excellent way to start narrations because there is a moral to be learned. Your child could retell the story without all of the details but still get the moral correct. This would be a successful narration! The point of narration is to find out what your child learned from what they read or what has been read to them. It eliminates the need for comprehension worksheets and allows you to be in communion with your child regarding their reading.

With my own daughter, I give her a heads-up of what type of information I’ll be expecting her to tell me about before she reads. At times I even go as far to write on the board, “Who, What, When, and Where” so that as she reads she can single out these facts. Some children need a little more guidance than others. If you ask your children questions about their reading, make sure the questions is formulated to be open ended, not a simple “yes” or “no” answer.

Narration is thinking, listening and pre-writing skill. It builds a child’s ability to organize their thoughts and prepare them to write. To aid your child, point out how to recognize the sequence of events within a reading, important events that happen and how it affects the ending. You’re sharing the world of reading with them and asking them to share it with you. Write down your child’s oral narrations, show them to your child so that they see their own work. When your child is narrating orally with confidence, it’s time for them to write their own narrations, given that they can handle the writing portion.

This can begin as copywork, you write your child’s oral narration and have them copy it. Gradually, you move towards allowing your child to write their own narration, one sentence at a time. By the time they are able to write a paragraph narration based on a chapter reading, they will be ready to to start a writing program or have consistent written essays. Don’t be discouraged if your child doesn’t take to narrations right away, remind yourself that it is a skill to be taught, learned and mastered. It is not easy but it is worthwhile.

Oral narrations can take many forms at first from the child drawing a picture about what they are hearing from a selection, acting out a scene from the reading to telling their teddy bear what the story was about. It doesn’t need to be formal at all. Some homeschoolers have created “narration jars” where the child to can pick how to narrate from a multitude of ideas placed on paper inside a jar. No matter what your approach, make it a positive experience.

Here are a few helpful links:
For a narration jar:

http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2005/08/narration-jar.html
http://www.home-school.com/Articles/CharlotteMason.html
http://www.home-school.com/Articles/AndreolaNarration.html
http://home.att.net/~bandcparker/narration.html

Also see example of children’s narrations at: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/galleryindex.html

Jessica is a Classical homeschooling mom to her 3 and 7 year old children. In her column “Trivium Tidbits”, she offers resources, aids and support for those who wish to homeschool their children using the Classical approach. Be sure to visit her blog at Trivium Academy.