Literature / Oral Narration Question

My children are the same age as yours. For CM education, formal narration doesn’t begin until age 6. Both my children love the stories you mentioned. My 5yo does not pay attention to longer stories at this time. I let her play or wonder off into her room if she wants for longer stories while my 7 yo listens and narrates. The stories that were just right in length and content when my now 7yo started narrating last year were Aesop’s Fables and Ergemeier’s Bible Story Book. Last year he enjoyed the tales of Winnie the Pooh and James Herriot’s treasury for children, but I had to stop every few paragraphs for a very short narration on those. We are planning to do Wind in the Willows this year and I will expect narration from the 7 yo, but if I didn’t start narration last year I would do something something easier just to get him to understand how to narrate first. From what I previewed of the Wind in the Willows, I don’t expect my 5 yo to listen, but my 7 yo would have listened to that length of story when he was 5 because he loves being read to. Another book that I think will be good for early narration for 6-8 year olds are the Mara Pratt American History Volumes you can download from Gutenburg’s website. As far as quitting the book or pushing through with listening, I wouldn’t worry about the 5yo not listening, but continue to read books like the ones you mentioned in your op. For the 7 yo I would try a different book that is longer than the beginner books you mentioned OR I would read shorter sections per sitting of the Wind in the Willows and gradually build up the amount of reading per sitting.

Confession that I did preview a chapter of Wind in the Willows for my 7 yo on audiobook a few weeks ago. While he listened, I could tell he wasn’t as interested as he has been with other audiobooks. But I’m going to give it a chance for our narration piece for the first term of year 2. If he doesn’t enjoy it after 2-3 chapters I will drop it only because he enjoys and sits through most of the other books recommended for his age from SCM and AO curriculum suggestions. In our case if he doesn’t enjoy it, the book would be the problem vs. his attention span.

Wind in the Willows is used for Year 2 in AO – and it is kind of the medium length one of the literature books for that year.  From that (and from reading it and having my 9yo son do it this last year) – I’d say it isn’t a good one for your first long book and for first narrations.  The chapters are quite long, and it is a book that some kids really aren’t interested in – and I’d say your kids are a bit young for it… especially if it is their first longer book.

I remember when my son was 6 – I tried reading “Owls in the Family” to him.  It is a great book, and has shorter chapters.  Even though he had listened to books like the Beatrix Potter books and Winnie the Pooh – he was finding “Owls in the Family” to be terribly boring…. so we dropped it.  This last year (with him being 9), we read it.  It was an easier book for my son – and he thought it was absolutely hillarioua.  It was his first choice of stuff to read each week while we were doing it – and he laughed throughout.

So, I’d find an easier chapter book.  Save Wind in the Willows for a couple of years, and they might really enjoy it then…  but start with something easier.

Also, you may not want to start narration right away with the first chapter book. You could start with a chapter book (we love James Herriott!) and just have them get used to listening to a chapter book. As you go through the book you could have some casual conversation about the story. With my kids (5 and 3) before we read from our chapter book for the day, I ask them to “remind us” what we read yesterday. This way, they are setting the stage for the new portion we read today. Afterward I just ask them what they think. We do this with our current chapter book (The Secret Garden) and also with the Egermeier Story Bible.