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Need help with narrations/constructing sentences.


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We have started doing a lot more narration this year and my son is having some trouble constructing his sentences. One of his narration sentences from science today was:

The planets, when they go around the sun and end up back in the same place, it has been a whole year.

I am trying not to disrupt the narration itself, as I have read this derails them. However, once we are done, I'm just not sure how to tell him to do it right. This is typical of most of his narrations; I know what he is saying, but they don't really come out right. I tend to say, "is there a way we could say this sentence differently?" but it normally gets even more skewed.

 

Fwiw, he has done a lot of copywork (WWE1) and we have read a lot of good books since he was little.

 

Ideas? I am feeling like such a failure this year!

 

ETA: I guess I didn't really ask a question. I'm just not sure what to do. Do I actually re-arrange the sentence to sound better and he will eventually catch on? Do I "tell" him something specific?

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I would just tell him that he has all the information in the sentence he needs but that it isn't in the correct order and then just show him how to construct the sentence correctly. When the planets go around the sun and end up in the same place again, it has been a whole year. Or, A year has passed once the planets go around the sun and end up in the same place again.

 

Just like copywork teaches by example, so must you. If you are consistent he will start to see the patterns and mimic them.

 

You may want to look at the elementary level Killgallon book. He is probably too young right now but you could take the idea and adapt it using sentences more on his reading level.

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I agree with Aime. And I think what he's doing is pretty normal - especially if these are oral narrations instead of written ones. We don't talk the same way we write. There is more formality in writing. Sentence structures are different. The more he hears and reads the right way, the easier it will be for him. That just takes lots of time and lots of exposure.

 

I'd say the most important thing at his age is to get the details right and it sounds like he's doing that. Sentence structure will improve eventually. The Killgallon books would be good for this, but I wouldn't do it at 7yrs old. Wait a couple years.

 

I really wouldn't worry. He's still a baby, really! He's got so many years ahead of him to get this right! Just keep being his "helper," showing him a better way to rephrase his sentences, and keep enjoying good books together! You're not a failure!

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Thank you gals! I was hoping that someone would say this is normal. Yes, these are oral narrations. :)

 

I will check out those Killgallon books for the future, but for now, I will concentrate on modeling the correct way and keep reading.

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