Narration via CM vs. TWM (SWB)

[JRmommy]

Would someone be kind enough to explain the difference and perhaps the benefits of one vs. the other?

[LindaOz]

I think the main difference is:

 

In CM narration you aim for the child to tell back as much as she can from the reading incorporating details, dialogue, sequence etc. She can tell the things that stood out to her.

 

WTM narration, on the other hand, aims to have the child discern the main points then use those points to give a summary of the reading. In other words, she would tell back the reading in a succinct two or three sentences highlighting the main points of what was read. This is the type of narration taught in WWE.

 

Personally, I prefer the CM style narration. I think that pulling out main points is an important skill that can wait until logic stage because it serves a different purpose. I used CM style narration for years with my older children and am well pleased with the results. :001_smile: I found that it helped them develop flow and expression and creativity in their writing.

[Teneo]

Retelling in your own words with as much info as you can recall (CM) vs summarizing the story succinctly (TWTM).

[Guest Schele]

It is my understanding that TWTM (SWB) narration is more of a summary or "Tell me the most important point(s)". SWB seems to use prompts to help a child learn to find the main ideas. CM narration on the other hand is more "Tell me everything you remember" and uses no prompts. From that it seems that TWTM narration would be better at helping a child to learn to pick out main points and later to outline while CM narration would help a child learn to listen attentively and remember all the details.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

It is my understanding that TWTM (SWB) narration is more of a summary or "Tell me the most important point(s)". SWB seems to use prompts to help a child learn to find the main ideas. CM narration on the other hand is more "Tell me everything you remember" and uses no prompts. From that it seems that TWTM narration would be better at helping a child to learn to pick out main points and later to outline while CM narration would help a child learn to listen attentively and remember all the details.

 

:iagree: I think both styles have benefits. I used both when my dd was younger

Edited October 19, 2012 by Hilltop Academy

[Teneo]

TWTM method would definitely prep the child to write formal papers better than the CM method of narration. CM helps you grasp detail, language use...great for overall memory/recall, vocabulary, storytelling/creative writing.

[Zoo Keeper]

I think it is worth pointing out that *in her writing lectures* SWB does not expect an early elementary student to come up the main ideas of a passage via narration. The main points that stood out to the child are valid, even if they are not the "real" main points of the passage. Random facts are fine. The whole point is to help a child learn to string words into complete sentences about something in the passage.

 

It's a process. SWB does not suggest that a six year old should be able to tell you *the* main point of a passage on his own.

 

Main points are better teased out by logic stage students.

[Mom-ninja.]

We do WWE narrations, and CM narrations for the fun books they read. They love to tell me as much detail as they can remember from their fun books.

[FO4UR]

I use both styles of narration.

 

Sometimes, I will let the child narrate ala CM and then ask directed questions to pull out some organized thought ala SWB on the same reading. Most of the time I choose one style or the other.

 

 

:iagree: CM's goals are in remembering, while SWB's goals are in organizing. Both are valid, and there is plenty of cross-over. It's not a black/white distinction.

[MFA323]

We usually use WTM-style narration for WWE narrations. For SOW, we use more of a CM style. It's good to do both so that a child learns both to listen for detail and to pick up on the important parts of the passage. For history, I want to know if they remember details. For fiction, I'm more concerned with seeing how they understand the overall idea of the story.

[boscopup]

I always had trouble getting a CM style narration out of my son. He could easily pick out main points and give a summary though. Weird. Asking him to tell me everything was met with blank looks. :tongue_smilie:

[Esse Quam Videri]

I've been really struggling with which style of narration is more beneficial.

My oldest DD is a self-taught, avid reader. Last year I gave her the WWE assessments and she simply could tell me "main points" of the passage that the text highlights. She told me what she thought was most important. In short, she placed into WWE2 though she could do the dictation from WWE4 (she has a very, very good memory).

 

Then last week I started reading For the Children's Sake and was horrified to find that what I've been doing is exactly what CM would recommend NOT to do:

 

"After narrating one of the great history stories of all time, I would have been reducing its breadth and interest by telling the children what I thought they should think and feel about it... they would have been deprived of the chance to wonder at the story, and to make their own personal response. "

 

Honestly, this is what it has felt like doing WWE. Perhaps it's just the way I am doing it, though. I do think finding the main points of a passage is an important skill, but I just don't know if this is the right time/way to work on that skill. I feel like it's producing manufactured answers rather than a creative, individual response to what we read.

[Bluegoat]

I tend to think that CM style narration is best in earlier years, and moving to a summation or important points approach is better later on.

 

I think with younger children the focus should be on building that habit of attention, really learning to focus on the material so that they can (ideally) remember each point after only hearing or reading it once. I think this is what is going to make it possible for kids to do close readings as they get older without it being a struggle.

 

I also don't think young kids really have the experience to make a good guess at what is most important. That is really a great skill to learn as they gain more discernment, when the habit of attention is in place.

 

I would not ask for a summary myself for a child in pre-grammar (what I'd say is roughly K-2) and would not emphasize it in the earlier grammar stage either. I'd be inclined to start introducing it closer to the logic stage and really fleshing it out and perfecting it once into the logic stage.

[Farrar]

I find the WTM style to be much more formulaic, honestly. And rather difficult for most young children to do without feeling boxed in.