Puppets for Narration

We have been using narration in our homeschool since the beginning, even before I called myself a Charlotte Mason homeschooler. I find that it’s a no-cost, low-stress technique that fits any reading assignment whether it’s poetry or prose, fiction or non-fiction.

Jumping Jacks for Narration

My ten year old daughter “Sprite” is good at narrating, but I noticed a funny quirk about her narrations. She tends to grab whatever is handy on the table, usually pencils and markers, to represent the characters she’s telling me about. As she recounts the characters’ actions, she moves the pencils accordingly. They don’t really add a lot to her narration, yet they seem to help her focus and keep the retelling straight in her mind. I shouldn’t be so surprised. You see, Sprite is a highly visual learner who sees things in mental pictures. So when she narrates, she’s trying to show me the picture that’s in her mind. Using concrete objects (however unlike the actual image they may be) seems to help her get her message across.

So finally I thought, “Why not make it easier for Sprite to do these ‘puppet’ narrations?” I could give her paper dolls to represent the characters she’s reading about and narrating.

Because we’re sort of crafty, we got a bit carried away and made jumping jacks, complete with lamination and hinged joints. Now we can use Vis-à-vis pens to write names or draw faces. But you certainly don’t have to spend a lot of time on the narration puppets.

Craft Stick People

Here are some links to paper dolls:

• Jumping Jack Template at Black Creek Pioneer Village
• Paper Dali (free)
• Dover Paper doll books (retail)
• Making Friends paper dolls (free)

Actually, you can use toys, stuffed animals, paper dolls, or store bought puppets. Any small figure that can be used to represent the characters in the passage you’re narrating will work well. If you use a toy or stuffed animal, you may want to give it a name tag stuck on with tape so that your child doesn’t forget which character it is representing. Or for a super simple alternative, print out images of the people in your book and attach them to pencils, markers, or craft sticks.

Try adding puppet narrations to your toolbox. They may help a visual learner like my daughter to craft better narrations. Or they may simply inject a bit of variety into your narration routine.

Jimmie is a former public school teacher turned homeschooling stay-at-home-mom. A sense of humor, faith, and creativity keep her “pressing on” in her unique situation — living and traveling abroad with an only child in a bilingual environment. Visit her blog at Jimmie’s Collage.

Tags: hands-on, jumping jack, narration, puppets, visual learners

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