reading and narration

My 7 and 9yos recently started doing some history reading and narrating. They wanted to because their older siblings do. They narrate to me and I type it up for them. They then get to read what they “wrote” to everyone when we go our together work. They are very proud.

Bethanna-

Yes, my dd9 does reread books that not only she likes, but also that take a bit more concentration and focus. For example, she’s read the entire Anne of Green Gables series twice now and I think she’s working on a third go. She’s also rereading all of the Little House books, some of the Little Peppers, some Bobbsey Twins, lots of Betsy-Tacy, and Little Women (can you tell what she enjoys?). Some though, she just reads once and that’s enough. Um, can’t think of ones that she only read once, but there are some, I’m sure. 🙂 I can’t keep this kid in books (great problem to have in theory); she would read 200 pages a day if I let her.

Anyway, with the ones she reads several times, she gets a new tidbit each time. There are aspects that she misses the first time but picks up on in a subsequent reading. With these free-time, fun books, I don’t keep a record of her narrations, but she is giving them all the time, so I can easily check her comprehension. I’ve only read a few of her favorites (just reread the Anne series with her), so sometimes it’s hard to prompt her to recall things that even I don’t know, but it is working out well like this. I’ve never asked her to slow down and enjoy the story. I guess my thinking there was that she was reading for pleasure and I would only “police” her school reading. I just didn’t want to quash that thrill and enthusiasm, y’know? My dd is very sensitive to my criticisms, so I try to pick my battles. 🙂

For formal, documented narrations, I’m working on her auditory comprehension. I know she is hearing and listening, but when she narrates back after a read-aloud I’ve done, she tends to add in all sorts of (really fun, creative) embellishments so we are concentrating hard on “just the facts”. Sometimes I have to facilitate two narrations: 1) what actually happened and 2) what she would have written if she were the author.

One more little point – I am now trying to tie in the last Anne book (Rilla of Ingleside) with some history of WWI and how the countries of the world were all drawn in one at a time, who Churchill was, why Woodrow Wilson (allegedly) wrote too many letters … it’s nice to fill in that back story for her so she knows why “her” characters are feeling and acting and speaking the way the do.

Also, I know what you mean about being cautious giving books that are a bit advanced to a younger girl without first reading each one. I found I just couldn’t make time to do that with each and every book. So far, my imperfect system for this is to have her read older, classic books and generally nothing “new” (1960 to now) unless I do have a chance to read it first. Or, unless I get reliable recommendations for this forum or another trusted mom.

So far so good, although I did have to finally address the topic of “monthlies” with her a few weeks ago. She’s a very tall, physically big, but thin girl (same shoe size as me and already 5′ tall! She’s just built like a teenager already – ugh!) so I do think it was a timely conversation, even though she is still so young. Often, she will come to me with a (usually twaddle) book that’s topic is obviously something she feels uncomfortable reading or that she knows we wouldn’t approve. So we will throw it away. Yes, literally. Pitch it.

HTH,

Jenni