Beginning Narration

[4KookieKids]

So I usually sit with my guy when he's writing up his narrations and trouble-shoot that way because I think it's better for him when I catch a mistake *before* he writes it down than *after* (when he has to erase, revise, etc.). But I decided to let him do the whole thing himself today without any intervention from me, and here's what I got. I guess I'm just curious what you'd focus most on (with the understanding that we'll continue to work on all of them anyway): handwriting (I've no idea how to get him to write smaller!), spelling, something else? He did look up the word venomous in the book, he told me after I'd left the room for a few minutes, since it was difficult to spell. And he has a hard time retaining things sometimes, and so likes to glance through the book again sometimes in between sentences to remind him of what he read. I guess I'm just looking for feedback. He's been writing his own narrations for about two months now, though they're often very short (which I'm probably ok with for early elem, but feel free to comment on that as well!).

 

 

 

We did correct the spelling and reversal issues after I took the pictures, of course. :)

Edited December 17, 2015 by deanna1ynne

[tmstranger]

How old is he?  I thought he did a very good job since you are saying he's a "beginner."  He wrote a lot!  His handwriting is very neat.  My 8yo writes large, too and it's a struggle to get him to write smaller, but I assume it will come with time.

 

 

[4KookieKids]

How old is he?  I thought he did a very good job since you are saying he's a "beginner."  He wrote a lot!  His handwriting is very neat.  My 8yo writes large, too and it's a struggle to get him to write smaller, but I assume it will come with time.

 

Thanks! That makes me feel good about our general/overall direction. Sometimes, it's so hard to know what's appropriate, what's too easy, and what's expecting too much from them. :) He's 6.5.

[tmstranger]

Thanks! That makes me feel good about our general/overall direction. Sometimes, it's so hard to know what's appropriate, what's too easy, and what's expecting too much from them. :) He's 6.5.

 

Goodness!  6.5!  He's doing fabulous! :)

 

[desertflower]

A+ totally fine.

[4KookieKids]

A+ totally fine.

 

Thanks. :)

[jens2sons]

He did an excellent job.  Please remember that narration is not about correct spelling.  It is about retelling back what was read to him.  You don't want him to focus so much on the spelling that he forgets what was read to him.  The spelling will come in time.  Be careful not to pick apart what he writes.  You don't want him to get frustrated with the process.  He is doing far more than what is expected for a boy his age.   

[4KookieKids]

He did an excellent job.  Please remember that narration is not about correct spelling.  It is about retelling back what was read to him.  You don't want him to focus so much on the spelling that he forgets what was read to him.  The spelling will come in time.  Be careful not to pick apart what he writes.  You don't want him to get frustrated with the process.  He is doing far more than what is expected for a boy his age.   

 

Yeah, we actually had a talk about this just this morning. It's not so much about spelling, but sometimes he's so focused on READING that he doesn't process what he's reading. I have to stop him every sentence or two and ask him a question about what he read just so that he actually processes. And even then, he often forgets what he read once he's to the end of the paragraph/page. This isn't a writing issue, now, of course, but still one I'm not sure how to fix. Even when I took out the writing altogether, he has a difficult time telling me anything we read -- at least in part, because he wants to tell me EVERYTHING we read, and he has a hard time sorting through everything he heard to pull out just a summary.

[jens2sons]

Yeah, we actually had a talk about this just this morning. It's not so much about spelling, but sometimes he's so focused on READING that he doesn't process what he's reading. I have to stop him every sentence or two and ask him a question about what he read just so that he actually processes. And even then, he often forgets what he read once he's to the end of the paragraph/page. This isn't a writing issue, now, of course, but still one I'm not sure how to fix. Even when I took out the writing altogether, he has a difficult time telling me anything we read -- at least in part, because he wants to tell me EVERYTHING we read, and he has a hard time sorting through everything he heard to pull out just a summary.

 

What you are talking about really isn't a real problem at the age of 6.5.  Just be patient and it will come.  Narration is like a muscle.  In order for it to work, it has to be exercised and it takes time to grow.  Boys also are known to take longer for these things.  It IS frustrating - I understand.  If you haven't already, make him a LA notebook and have him put his narrations in it.  Then you can look through his work and see how he is progressing when you are feeling like he isn't where you 'think' he should be.  As long as he is progressing, even bit-by-bit, he is doing good.