6yo and narration (SOTW)

[Snowfall]

My 6yo really seems to enjoy doing Story of the World Vol.1. She gets excited when I say we're going to read it, likes to do the coloring pages (even though in general she much prefers drawing over coloring) and the mapwork, and enjoys the AG projects. Well, so far. We've only done the first 3 chapters. lol She's really not good at narrating at all, though. If I ask her for her favorite part, she usually says she doesn't remember, even though I know she does remember because she'll talk about it without prompting at a later time. When she does remember something (she always does after I prompt her), she really doesn't want to speak in complete sentences at all - she wants to tell me a word or two, then move on. Asking her to tell it in complete sentences is bound to get a huge whine from her, although she'll eventually do it. Should we just skip this part at her age, or is there some reason to keep plugging along with that?

[robsiew]

My 6 y/o doesn't like narration either. We are working in WWE1 and when I ask him his favorite part he giggles, tells me the last thing we read and then informs me, "I just told you the last thing!" It's kind of a game now:001_huh:

 

So, I told him today that it's just fine that he tells me the last thing we read, however I'm going to ask him more! Touche! ;)

 

As far as answering in complete sentences.... I do think that's important because it gets the kids thinking in complete sentences so when they eventually are writing they write complete sentences. It will be much harder to construct complete sentences if they are used to answering in fragments.

 

For my 6 y/o (and still my 8 y/o) I often times start the sentence for them so they have the beginning. I make them repeat the beginning, not just listen to what I say...

 

It will come... stick with if you think it's important.

[Snowfall]

Ah, I often start the sentences for her whenever I ask her to narrate anything, so I'm glad to see you do that. I ask her to narrate stories we read sometimes, too, and she does the same thing then. I'll just keep on this way, then. Thanks!

[~Kirsten~]

By any chance, do you have the Activity Guide? I've found the review questions in there to be super helpful, and if we go through them first, I tend to get a much better narration/favorite part.

 

Another thought...if she's enjoying talking about it later in the day, maybe she's just feeling pressured or put on the spot when you ask. Or, maybe she just needs a little time to process what she's heard. That said, would it be possible to keep a notepad out, and when she's starts talking about it, you could respond enthusiastically with something like, "Oh, wasn't that so interesting? Let's write that down for your notebook!" Then it's low-key and on her terms.

 

One more thought. On the incomplete sentence front, I'd be seriously tempted to turn her idea into a full sentence for her. So she answers you with a phrase like the rule about robbers, and you write, "Hammurabi had a code of laws, and the most interesting one said that if a robber was caught cutting a hole into a house to steal things, he was to be buried in front of the hole." (You can probably tell what made an impression in our house.) Then read it back to her, and move on. I think, especially at 6, it's crucial to keep the pressure off as much as possible in order to encourage the fun of history. I know that my husband gets long, drawn-out explanations of what my daughter learned that aren't remotely close to what she'll tell me for a narration. So it's in there; it's all about the access.

 

Hope that's at least a bit reassuring. :001_smile:

[Hockey Mom]

I second using the AG. We make it a game with the questions. If they can get 3 out of 5 questions correct, they earn a Treasure Ticket (good for one treasure out of the treasure box). Since we started playing, I've noticed they listen to the story better, and they give more complete answers.

[Tonia]

I second using the AG. We make it a game with the questions. If they can get 3 out of 5 questions correct, they earn a Treasure Ticket (good for one treasure out of the treasure box). Since we started playing, I've noticed they listen to the story better, and they give more complete answers.

 

Love this idea! Think I'll try it with dd - who gets so involved in her coloring that she forgets to listen. :D

[NanceXToo]

Personally I found like age 8 and 9 to be a better "fit" for SOTW than I think 6 would be- because even though at 6 they would enjoy some of the picture books that are suggested for supplemental reading, and the simple mapwork and the coloring pages and the activities and so on- I don't think they'd get as much or retain as much from much of the reading or history itself.

 

If you are going to do it with a 6 year old, I wouldn't stress as much over how they are doing with the narration, whether they use full sentences and so on, but one thing you might find helpful is breaking things up into smaller sections so there's less to take in/remember. Instead of asking for a few sentences about three pages, ask for one sentence about a paragraph or some such.

 

Another idea: YOU could do the narration for HER- just two or three simple sentences... maybe after some time of you doing that, she'll get the hang of what you're expecting and start giving it a shot herself.

 

I also found that even with my 9 y/o she does much better getting the review questions right if she reads aloud to me rather than me reading aloud to her, but that might not work as well with a younger kid because they might not have those reading skills yet.

[Molly]

I tend to help the girls make their narrations into full sentences by repeating what they have said in a full sentence. I have noticed that they are starting to use more full sentences themselves now. I hope in another year or so they will be away and coming out with it on their own.

[Snowfall]

We use the questions in the AG. :) She's a smart cookie and her retention skills are phenomenal when she's interested in something. She does seem to be retaining it, because she's like Kirsten's dd in that she'll give DH a synopsis of the whole chapter, unprompted. She just doesn't want me to ask her about it.