alternatives to narration

[caedmyn]

Are there any alternatives to (oral) narration?  We've been following Charlotte Mason-style schooling, but sometimes I just don't want to deal with narration (ie having to find time to pre-read and then find quiet time to listen to my 4th grader narrate since she has ADD symptoms and doesn't focus well with noise/activity around, aka 3 little brothers, not to mention never being quite sure if she is narrating well enough, including enough/the right details, remember names/places, etc).  Sometimes it would be nice to have a simpler alternative.

[EmilyGF]

Here's some narration trouble-shooting, not quite alternatives.

 

1) You just pre-skim, don't pre-read.

2) Tell her to "think about it for three minutes, then tell me in 2 minutes or less the most important things"

3) Written narration (1-3 times per week)

4) Have her call Grandma and tell her about her reading. Prime Grandma to listen and not ask leading questions.

5) Let her record herself on a smart phone voice recorder.

6) Have her call you on a phone and leave a message

7) Tell her to tell you "only the  main idea"

 

Looking at CM schedules, they were doing maybe 3 narrations a day. One was of a very short Bible reading, so that should go quickly. 

 

Also, in an actual classroom, not every kid narrated every time. The key was that every kid knew they might have to narrate so they read attentively in case they had to.

 

Emily

[bluejay]

Do you do a "question and answer" exercise?  Instead of simply telling your child to narrate back what he/she just read, ask specific questions.  Like "What was the name of the child in the story?" or "Where do the characters live?"  If your child has difficulty paying attention to the full story from beginning to end, stick with shorter stories and/or pause in the middle of storytelling to ask questions.  At the end of the q&a, ask your child, "What's the one thing you remember about the story?" or "How can you describe the story in a sentence or two to somebody who has never read it?" 

 

There are instructions for this in "First Language Lessons" and "Writing with Ease."

 

If your child is reluctant to narrate, suggest she tell the story to a favorite toy or stuffed animal. :)

 

If you are short on time, do not ask your child to narrate in detail.  In fact, you might not want too much detail.  You can also ask your child to make a drawing about the story for  days when you want to skip narration.

 

Also make sure you or your child writes down the narration or summary.  Put aside a notebook just for that.  No need to summarize EVERY story they read.  But do it maybe twice a week. 

 

I wouldn't omit narration altogether.  Susan and Jesse point out that copywork, narration and dictation are part of a complete writing education.  But you don't need to do it all the time.

[SilverMoon]

We just discuss what we read casually instead of formal narration. I keep asking questions until I'm satisfied. "So what are the Robinsons up to today?" "They rode big birds!" "And how did that work out?" "Oh it was great! This happened and that happened and..."  "What would you have done?" And so on.

 

 

If you're wed to the idea however, I'd make a variety of options to demonstrate mastery like "write a summary, "make a newspaper article," "interview one of the characters like you're a reporter," and so on, and put them on little paper slips in a jar for her to choose from.