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Oral narration
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I began homeschooling in the middle of last year when my son was in kindergarten. I had read alot of books and love the Charlotte Mason method. I have steadily been trying to implement it, although at times it can be overwhelming, but it seems to be a bit of a struggle to get him to do narration. It seems that the CM method requires mostly reading and narration and that just does not work with him. He is easily distracted and he doesn’t have the interest to listen. I have tried letting him keep his hands busy with things but then he ends up putting his focus on what he is doing instead of listening. I would say that auditory learning is not his strongest. He seems to be a very visual, hands on learner. Altough I love the style of narration learning, I sometimes avoid doing it because it becomes a struggle and then I end up aggravated with him. I try not to read a passage more than once but often times when I ask him to tell me about what he just heard he will say I don’t know or something of that effect. He is incredibly intelligent, but his intelligence does seem to be on the same level as his maturity or his desire to learn about, say, history. It doesn’t really intrigue him. I am writing because I was wondering if other moms have this same issue and what to do about it. As I have searched this entire website and looked at the curriculum guide I am pretty much doing what you do and seem to be on track but I try to make things as interesting to him as possible. We don’t do alot of reading for several subjects each day. We may read in bible study and history, or science. I read literature aloud to him at night. I have temporarily given up history not knowing which direction to take since he doesn’t seem interested in it. Your curriculum guide seems to be mostly reading and narration. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.
Is it possible to back off and wait awhile for him to mature a bit? Perhaps spend the next few months reading aloud wonderful literature that does appeal to him without requiring narration. Initiate conversations with him about the books throughout your days, even if you are talking to yourself. I’d spend lots of time outdoors with him and perhaps working on projects or physical activities. Gradually start again with the narrations perhaps in the fall. At first, it might take you modeling how to narrate before he will do it himself. It’s a hard task and there’s no rush to master it instantly.
As a word of encouragement, my first child resisted narrations her first year, which surprised and humbled me. I considered her such a bookish kid with a long attention span, yet she didn’t like narrating. With lots of patience (sigh, and some struggles), she improved her skills. It takes time and our patiences as mothers will be tried. Over time, DD’s skills leaped forward and now oral narration is not a struggle for her.
I’m guessing your son is around 6yo or 7. I don’t see the harm in quietly putting off narration for awhile longer.
If you do persist, I would suggest perhaps doing one reading a day until he gets the hang of it. Narration isn’t easy and it takes time to build up the stamina, especially if it’s not coming easily to the child in the beginning.
(Edited to add: If the issue is that your son doesn’t take direction from you, which I’m not sure is the case, I would still give the advice to back off narration for awhile but focus on his habit of obedience. Not sure this is an issue, but thought I’d mention it as it’s important for the success of your homeschooling in the future.)
Hi Jennifer! I am adding some quotes from Charlotte Mason herself in regards to young children. Many of us (I did with my 4th child) tend to forget that CM did not advocate formal lessons until a child is 6 or 7 years old (unless of course the child chooses to learn themselves). I learned this myself, and I will be doing things very differently with my 5th child, who by the way just turned 5 today. 🙂
I hope you find these quotes helpful, uplifting, encouraging, and inspiring! You can also read about my own plan for my grade K child here:
http://livingundergrace.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/almost-5/
Also remember that CM says that we should never do a reading twice, this will train the child to be lazy in attention. If I were you, I would lay aside the formal schooling and narration (which again should not begin until 6 or 7) for a year or so, and rather, spend time in nature, reading from good books for only 15 mins at at time, etc….
………………………………
“the chief function of the child––his business in the world during the first six or seven years of his life––is to find out all he can, about whatever comes under his notice, by means of his five senses“
– Charlotte Mason, Home Education, Volume 1, pg. 96
“In this time of extraordinary pressure, educational and social, perhaps a mothers first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet growing time, a full six years of passive receptive life, the waking part of it spent for the most part out in the fresh air. .”
– Charlotte Mason, Home Education. Vol 1. pg. 43
“A child will have taught himself to paint, paste, cut paper, knit, weave, hammer and saw, make lovely things in clay and sand, build castles with his bricks; possibly, too, will have taught himself to read, write, and do sums, besides acquiring no end of knowledge and notions about the world he lives in, by the time he is six or seven. What I contend for is that **he shall do these things because he chooses**“
– Charlotte Mason, Home Education, Vol 1, pg. 193
“At six or seven, definite lessons should begin, and these need not be watered down or served with jam for the acute intelligences that will in this way be brought to bear on them“
– Charlotte Mason, Home Education, Vol 1 pg. 193
Oh! And when you do begin narration again (later) only read 1 paragraph or 2, depending on length and then ask for a narration. Aesops fables are a perfect source for beginning narrations.
On the matter of history and the littlest students – I don’t think they can really relate. Only now that my daughter is 8 1/2 can she begin to put things in perspective herself, from a historical point of view. I think that giving up the history books is fine for this age, but if it is bothering you, try adding a couple of biographies, maybe. Later when the panorama of history is coming into focus for him, he will be able to place these people in their correct eras and it will give him a sense of familiarity for the time.
My littlest, almost 5, has enjoyed the American Tall Tales that we’ve been reading this year. While not strictly factual, they give a great sense of history (and geography).
And starting a family book of centuries is good too. At this age, I believe that CM recommends that you make the entries with your student as the helpful observer. You will find many things from your literature, Bible, and science readings to add to it. Say you read a picture book that takes place in Ancient Egypt. You can turn to that age in the BOC and enter “The events in (whatever the book is) took place at this time in Egypt.” It all builds over time.
Good luck!
Gem
I thank you all for taking the time to give me some advice. Homeschooling is something I am passionate about doing and doing right. However, the idea of homeschooling and the realities of homeschool are quite different! 🙂 I might decide to back off the narrations for a while and let him mature a bit. Thanks again.
My daughter, 8yo, really struggles with narrations as well. I try to find other ways of having her retell the story. One example, let him act it out. If he’s a visual learner, maybe he could draw a picture retelling the part that you read. I did that last year with Aesop’s Fables. I read the fable, she told it back to me while I wrote it down in her words, then she drew a picture. She came to actually enjoy narrations, and we’ve moved on to more thourough methods as her skills have developed.
HTH, Faith 🙂
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