Narration, Dictation, Notebooking

Hello Amy3,

I have not got too much time to answer now, and I am sure that others will chime in too.

What I have found over the years with CM is that the approach sort of grows on you, or maybe, you grow with it.  At first, it feels clumsy.  I used to feel so “false” trying to implement what I had learned.  Well, would you believe the other day, I heard myself talking and I realized how much the CM method has become part of our very life.

What sometimes helps when you start with CM, is not to try make all your changes at once.  You may become overwhelmed.  Focus on one area of change at a time.  Do not feel it has to be all or nothing in the beginning.  Give yourself, and your children time to adapt.

It is quite normal to feel a bit overwhelmed at first.  It is a lot to take in. Allow yourself time for the CM method to sort of wash over you.  Read what you can about CM.  The SCM books are a great place to start, as they chunk it down into such easy to understand language.

I would really recommend you that you browse the free SCM articles where any area confuses you. For example, last year there was a long series of articles on teaching language arts, it was excellent!

When we did Genesis I think the SCM guide mentions where an oral narration can be done.  Of course you can tweak anything to work for you, but with young children I would probably choose one living book and the Bible for them to narrate initially.  Don’t pressure yourselves, get into it slowly.

We’re fairly new to notebooking, just used it this year.  We make mostly make pages for our science, as it is zoology and lends itself to lovely pictures and descriptions.  We also use it for composer and artist study.  Again, go slow.  If you have not used notebooking before, I would suggest you not try too many subjects at once, especially if your children are young.

This is a lovely forum, as you said.  You can always ask away here.

I now feel a bit more inclined to read CM’s own words and enjoy reading the Original Series.  And I am still learning about CM and her method.   In her writings I pick up something new, underlining a gem or a beautiful thought. I believe I always will be learning.

Regards,

Lindy

We narrate all the books we read for school except for literature. I might ask about her literature book here and there but I don’t require a formal narration. I find that my daughter tells me about her literature books all the time anyway. 🙂