Comments on: Narration for Beginners

By: Jimmie

Jimmie — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 12:50:05 +0000

I love your concept of “narration light.” Clever. Narrations can be very varied and obviously grow in depth as a child matures. It’s been fun to see this progression in my now 10 year old from the “tell me three things we read here” to “write a paragraph, narrating this chapter.”

By: Kelly

Kelly — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:30:21 +0000

I failed pretty badly at getting my older kids to narrate, but after reading Mason myself, and beginning to use Ambleside Online, I tried it again with my younger set. At first, the only thing I had them narrate was the Aesop story for the day, and I would read just a tiny bit -- maybe the first sentence only, since it was usually packed with all the scene-setting and character-introducing. Then I'd ask a simple question like, "Who is this story going to be about?"

We worked up from there, and now they're pretty good at it. :-)

By: Brandy Afterthoughts

Brandy Afterthoughts — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:35:02 +0000

I like it!

Narration was hard for me in the beginning, and I think it was because I, too, started at five! There was a huge difference when we hit six. I had read Mason's works, but I thought because my child was an early reader that meant something, but in retrospect I should have waited.

Anyhow, the nice thing is that as the younger children watch, they will simply soak up the idea of narration. When A. tells me about her time with her grandparents, for instance, she tells me first that she is going to narrate to me! She is the child I would have predicted would be completely frightened of narration, but since she will have been around it for three years without it really being required of her, I think she will be fine. Of course, I am getting her a little used to it by having her remember one thing from the poems this term. A little practice never hurt anyone, right? :)

I like your "light" versions. I'll probably use something like that with A. when the time comes...