Beginning Narrations with multiple ages and children

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  • May 16, 2015 at 1:57 pm
    Tracy Menard
    Participant

    Hello all,

    I’m new to the site and revisiting CM methods and philosophies after many years away and never having fully implemented them in the early years. I have many questions. 🙂

    I’m transitioning into this in stages so as not to overwhelm myself or my children. I have 9, ages 17, 15, 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 3, and 6 months old.  My goal is to align our coming school year with as many of the CM methods as I am able to study and apply while pulling out our current tools as we go.  I’ve started with narrations in the past month but need more help.

    Right now I’m focusing on oral narrations for everyone since we are all needing to learn this skill.  My question is, how can I do this well with so many at so many different levels? I am reading that Charlotte Mason would say they should take turns. However, I’m finding that this is difficult with so many. They often just repeat what a sibling said. Also, it takes a long while, leaving us well past the 15 minute mark for a short lesson on narration. Especially if I read enough material for everyone to get in their own narration.

    Also, should I be reading only one book for all age levels? Should I begin by reading just a paragraph for the youngest and continue increasing for each one? Should I be mixing up our narrations throughout the day?

    Sorry if I am slow in this. I would love to hear ideas on what oral narrations would look like with a group this size of such broad range of age. I don’t want my younger ones feeling lost or overwhelmed.  I also don’t want my older ones getting bored (though, admittedly, I need to work on character issues here so they will be patient and encouraging to others in their pursuits).

    Thanks for any help you can offer as we transition. 🙂

     

    Tracy, mom to 9

    May 17, 2015 at 6:56 am
    nebby
    Participant

    I would do some things together and have them take turns narrating. Not every child needs to narrate every passage though. I would start with younger kids and then ask an older one or two what they can add. You can also vary the length of what you read so a little one is only asked to narrate a paragraph and an older one has a longer chunk. Older ones could also do some reading on their own and narrating to you. It could even be good to have little ones narrate to older ones. Perhaps they would get a better appreciation for a good narration if they have to be in charge of their sibling’s narrations briefly. Lastly I would explain to the older ones why you are doing this. My kids were initially resistant to the idea and I think it helps to explain that this will help them order their own thoughts and learn the material.

    Nebby

    http://www.lettersfromnebby.wordpress.com

    May 17, 2015 at 8:16 am
    HollyS
    Participant

    Nebby has some great ideas!  I feel like we’ve slacked off on narrations this year so we are taking the summer to focus on that.  I guess taking time for narrations is my current habit to work on!  🙂

    Aesop’s Fables is a popular book to start narrations with.  Many of the stories are a paragraph long and the longer ones are only a page or two.  I also like to have them narrate Bible stories or Bible readings since they are already familiar with these.  You can also vary the types of narrations.  My kids are very excited when I have them draw a picture of the reading.  We don’t do this as often since it takes longer (and I want them to work on oral narrations), but it breaks up the routine.

     

    May 17, 2015 at 7:54 pm
    Tracy Menard
    Participant

    Thank you so much for your suggestions.  I’ve been working this past month on all of us learning narrations. We’ve been having group time first thing where everyone brings something to read (five minutes or less) and I ask someone to narrate for each reading. Is that okay? Narrating what the siblings read or should it be only what I read or what the read to themselves?

    I need to work on prompts now.  The new challenge will be to try and get these narrations in in 15 minutes. 😉

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