Narration material ideas?

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  • September 29, 2013 at 1:28 am
    Alicia Hart
    Participant

    Hi all!

    I am looking for narration ideas for my dd who narrated Aesop’s Fables last year and this year we are doing about 2-4 pp. with Just So Stories.

    Any ideas on what we should use next? Just So Stories has been a little bit challenging but we are sticking with it and should finish it by the end of this first term.

    Thanks!

    September 29, 2013 at 2:36 am
    jmac17
    Participant

    How old is your DD and what other books are you reading already?  Have you checked out the free curriculum guide http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/curriculum-guide/ for recommendations on what to read for each subject or do you have a program you are following?   A bit more information will help everyone make more specific suggestions.

    I have started teaching narration to both my 8yo and 6yo with Aesop and Fifty Famous stories.  Within a month or two, they were narrating everything other than bedtime stories and their independent free reading.  History, science, literature, scripture, and so on all get narrated every time they are read.

     

    September 29, 2013 at 2:59 am
    Angelina
    Participant

    Second vote for Fifty Famous Stories. Excellent material/length of material for early narrators. I also echo was jmac17 says above in her second paragraph – this is exactly how we started, my boys were 6 and 8 at the time… we were narrating anything and everything within a month.

    IMO – The key in the beginning (and assuming you are building your reading list from SCM, AO or other CM book recommendations) is not really what your child is going to narrate but rather, how LONG you read from a novel or literature selection before you stop and ask for the narration. At age 6 and 8, we did (for literature) Trumpet of the Swan, Doctor Dolittle, and The Wheel on the School over the course of the year. We had specific selections for Bible, History and Science as well – all living books chosen from CM friendly booklists. All books/readings were narrated…but in the beginning I only read 5-6 minutes before stopping and asking for a narration. After about 6 months I could read (or assign my eldest to read) passages of 10 minutes or even 15 minutes in length and then ask for narration. We’ve had no difficulties on using this “gradually increasing” process.

    Interestingly, because my third child witnessed this gradual process by his older brothers from age 4+ (he was usually hanging around for our readings), he (at now age 6.5) can narrate in incredible detail from a 15 minute reading (I am blown away sometimes at his detail…after such a long reading!) I say this because again, I think, for a new narrator, it’s about starting a bit shorter and building up – whatever the age. Short, but FREQUENT. Do it for everything you read. And within a short time, you will naturally start reading a little longer in each book…and then it builds a bit more…and suddenly – the child is flying (a narration super-star!)

    Hope this helps a bit. Blessings, Angie

    September 29, 2013 at 3:12 am
    Alicia Hart
    Participant

    My dd just turned 9. Narration is not her strongest skill.

    We are doing SCM’s curriculum guide fully(doing Module one). I have her in year three. Right now I am reading aloud The Trumpet of the Swan but sort of wanted to keep that one book for just enjoyment.

    We are narrating small portions of Apologia’s Astronomy – just a few paragraphs at a time is all she can handle.

    I really appreciate both of these response – so very very helpful.

    September 29, 2013 at 10:41 am
    nebby
    Participant

    We found Thorton Burgess’s books like “the story of Sammy jay” or some other character work really well so do the Among the People series.

    Nebby

    http://www.lettersfromnebby.wordpress.com

    September 30, 2013 at 12:00 am
    Alicia Hart
    Participant

    Oooh – I forgot about the Among the People series – that I actually have. I think that I will get Fifty Famous Stories as well.

    Thanks for the wonderful suggestions

    Blessings!

    September 30, 2013 at 2:38 pm
    Shannon
    Participant

    Thanks to the OP for asking this. Based on this info, I’m going to get Fifty Famous Stories. I can get it free on Kindle or I can pay about $15 for a 1920 version in what seems to be pretty good condition. In general I prefer books over e-versions. I also like to save money. Which do you think I should get?

    September 30, 2013 at 2:49 pm
    Angelina
    Participant

    Shannon – I love having a paper copy for my read alouds – particularly when it’s a collection of short stories – as we like to flip through and choose whatever we’re in the mood for. (there is no need to read 50 Famous Stories in the order presented in the book). I find flipping through much easier using a read book.

    I got my version of Fifty Famous Stories (note, the full title is 50 Famous Stories Retold …not an abridged version, but the full title — as far as I know). I got mine from http://www.bookdepository.com – prices range from $6 to $11.

    One other comment on 50 Famous Stories – I once saw on the AO site a listing of the story titles by chronological order. At that time I thought that would be a neat way to read them!

    September 30, 2013 at 3:01 pm
    Shannon
    Participant

    That’s exactly what I wanted to know. And thanks for the full title. That is the one I was looking at and I was hoping it didn’t mean a change from the original telling.

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