Those of you using SWB's methods for narration....

[cottagechick]

After years of homeschooling, I'm still a bit confused on narration. :001_huh: Is narration a prerequisite skill for summarizing/outlining? In WWE (workbook 2), there are very specific questions for narrowing down a narration to 2-3 sentences, and in the Mp3's Susan talks about 'guided narration'. I originally thought narration was simply retelling in the child's own words (which never worked well for my olders....waaaay too wordy!).

 

Do you use the guided narration method? It seems that if we get our kids to narrate just the skeleton of a story by identifying the main points/characters, it would ease the transition into outlining in 5th grade (ie: recognizing the main point, supporting details, etc.), but their written narrative summaries would be very short.

 

I suppose I used to think narration was primarily for 'testing' a child's comprehension of a story. Now I see is as primarily a foundational skill that leads to later logic stage summarizing and outlining. In other words, it's a tool for teaching the process of writing. I appreciated the detailed examples SWB used in her Mp3's, but that was the first time I'd made a connection between narration and summarizing. Am I understanding the method properly?

 

many thanks (and virtual chocolate),

cindy

[Jen+4dc]

After years of homeschooling, I'm still a bit confused on narration. :001_huh: Is narration a prerequisite skill for summarizing/outlining? In WWE (workbook 2), there are very specific questions for narrowing down a narration to 2-3 sentences, and in the Mp3's Susan talks about 'guided narration'. I originally thought narration was simply retelling in the child's own words (which never worked well for my olders....waaaay too wordy!).

 

Do you use the guided narration method? It seems that if we get our kids to narrate just the skeleton of a story by identifying the main points/characters, it would ease the transition into outlining in 5th grade (ie: recognizing the main point, supporting details, etc.), but their written narrative summaries would be very short.

 

:iagree:

I suppose I used to think narration was primarily for 'testing' a child's comprehension of a story. Now I see is as primarily a foundational skill that leads to later logic stage summarizing and outlining. In other words, it's a tool for teaching the process of writing. I appreciated the detailed examples SWB used in her Mp3's, but that was the first time I'd made a connection between narration and summarizing. Am I understanding the method properly?

 

many thanks (and virtual chocolate),

cindy

 

I think the bolded part is exactly right! Of course, that's just my 2 cents!:D

[susankenny]

:bigear:

[RhondaJK]

:lurk5:

[Splash]

:lurk5::iagree:

[mommy4ever]

It is building up the foundation to outlining. As you said, without guidance, the kids give you a 10 minute summary of a 5 minute story... my dd11 will. Argh.

 

The guided summary is preparing them. After awhile, they will know what you are looking for and the light will go on, and you won't be pulling it out of them. I am still in this stage with dd11. We just started narration period. Now dd6 is a machine with it. We also have only just started with her as well, but she doesn't over think the question.

 

DD6:

Who is the story about? The story is about George. What did George do? George was always getting into big trouble.

 

DD11:

Who is the story about? dd: The man or George? Or the police man??? Ok, who is the main character: (insert frustration starting immediately). I don't know. If you were to take out the police man, would you still have a decent story? I dunno...yes? So without the policeman, there is still an ok story. If you took out George do you still have a story? (insert tears) I dunno. (Mom breathing deep). Well, let's read the story again to refresh your memory.....

 

Eventually she grudgingly answers. But the fact is, it is a long process, as she is over analyzing. I can't just let her write a literary analysis, as she isn't ready. She can outline not bad for history, but still a lot of hand holding, and her frustration is very close to the surface. But she is like that with everything. Chores, learning a new game, etc. She is short fused in the patience area. It'll come.

 

This is difficult for her. I don't know why. I have dropped back to the very beginning with her. There is almost no writing involved, it's all oral. I tried writing out the questions and letting her do them on her own, and it is the same scenario.

 

The example above is not what they have read, they read different things. Obviously they have different interests. It's just what I have experienced. The youngest just answers, usually without effort. The other is so worried there is a hidden agenda in the questions.

 

The younger you start, the easier it is for them.

[Colleen in NS]

Is narration a prerequisite skill for summarizing/outlining?

 

It seems that if we get our kids to narrate just the skeleton of a story by identifying the main points/characters, it would ease the transition into outlining in 5th grade (ie: recognizing the main point, supporting details, etc.), but their written narrative summaries would be very short.

 

I suppose I used to think narration was primarily for 'testing' a child's comprehension of a story. Now I see is as primarily a foundational skill that leads to later logic stage summarizing and outlining.

 

Well, the conclusions you came to are the conclusions I came to after hearing all her lectures! :D

 

About the written narrative summaries being short - I took SWB's logic stage advice and continued to have my 6th grader write narrations this year. I can say that his narrations have become longer, on his own volition, than my formerly required 3-4 sentences. He has to narrate more paragraphs and that's probably why, but the point is, they are longer now, with more interesting thought put into them. They remain at one paragraph, so that he can continue to practice simple paragraph skills, until he transitions into rewriting from outlines - then those will be multi-paragraphed.

[Capt_Uhura]

Yes, that is what I got out of it as well. There is narration for comprehension of a story and then there is narration as a foundation for writing.

 

Capt_Uhura

[Penny from Tenny]

....since the concensus seems to be that summary narrations are the foundation for writing (which I accept), and since I have just kept hoping that my 9 yo child will magically get this concept (I feel the pain of those whose children give a 10 minute narration for a 5 minute story).....what would the recommendation be for an older child who just doesn't get it? I think the WWE books are sequential aren't they? I used WWE 2 and loved the concept but just failed to persevere....any ideas?

sorry if I'm hijacking

[Colleen in NS]

There is narration for comprehension of a story and then there is narration as a foundation for writing.

 

And just to add to this - I found in WWE that SWB's methods include both of these - this is something I missed before I got WWE, that I should have been asking my kids comprehension questions first, and THEN asking them for a narration (while helping them narrow it down). So yeah, you get writing training, and the side benefit is reading comprehension.:D

 

what would the recommendation be for an older child who just doesn't get it?

 

Your 9yo would not be too old for WWE. I whizzed my son through it (the textbook, not workbooks) when he was 10.5, and I've seen plenty of posts here about kids older than that who were being taken through it to get these basic skills.