Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

Tagged: narration

This topic has 18 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 10 months ago by Melanie32.

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July 30, 2015 at 4:22 pm
Alicia Hart
Participant
Has anyone else had a 12 year old struggle to narrate Oliver Twist?
I think that I might have asked this before but how do I help my children to grow in their comprehension/reading level?
Do you read one or two books per year with them that are a little above their level or does it just happen with reading larger volumes of books?

July 30, 2015 at 4:40 pm
nebby
Participant
We did Oliver Twist as a read aloud year before last. I did not ask my kids to narrate but though they enjoyed the book, I think it would have been tough to narrate. There are a lot of characters and there is a lot going on. I would think it would be tough to process it all early in the book. Things do come together as it moves on. I would say definitely read books together still.
July 30, 2015 at 4:58 pm
missceegee
Participant
Dd14 read it in 7th. She wrote narrations that were creative in style and well done. That said, she LOATHED Oliver Twist and said it dragged on forever.
July 30, 2015 at 5:50 pm
Alicia Hart
Participant
missceegee-
What do you mean creative style? Are you talking about like a “newspaper” article or a “letter” written to someone?
Are you planning on using it with your other kids?
July 30, 2015 at 8:06 pm
missceegee
Participant

I spread the book over the full year, too. It simply made it drag on more for her. Spreading it over a term would have been better for her. Yes, I would use it again.
Creative Narration
July 30, 2015 at 9:25 pm
Alicia Hart
Participant
Thanks Christie! So very helpful.
Thanks nebby too for your input!
July 31, 2015 at 6:40 am
Melanie32
Participant
I don’t require narrations for our literature studies. We discuss them in a more casual manner. My thinking is that it’s not so important that my daughter remember every detail of her literature studies-just that she is exposed to the classics and is familiar with the stories.
I have her narrate from all books except the ones that are expressly for literature or free reading so she is narrating for science, history, economics, art history, artist and composer biographies and Plutarch. I give her a break from narration when it’s time for literature. However, she is constantly coming to me to tell me bits and pieces about what she is reading or to read a passage aloud to me so I know that she is comprehending her books.
We haven’t read Oliver Twist yet. She is reading Ivanhoe now and we have it spread throughout the year. She doesn’t care for it at all. I have her read 1 chapter a week and then she reads The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for her remaining literature studies. She loves Doyle-he is very funny. This is our first year spreading a book over the entire school year. I’m not sure if I like this method or not. At first it seemed like a gentler method to handle some of the more difficult reads-like Ivanhoe. Now, I’m not so sure. One can get very tired of a book when it must be read every week for an entire year.
I am sure she won’t care for Oliver Twist either. lol.
July 31, 2015 at 8:48 am
Alicia Hart
Participant
Melanie-
That is a very interesting approach. So you don’t have her narrate any literature at all? It sounds like, actually she is sort of just narrating those books to you on her own …..I was wondering how old is your daughter?
July 31, 2015 at 9:42 am
Melanie32
Participant
That’s correct-I don’t require narrations for literature. While we do discuss what she is reading, she doesn’t give me formal narrations with the detail I usually expect from her.
My daughter is 13. 🙂
I also require her to narrate her Bible readings.
I guess I think of literature as something to just enjoy for pleasure’s sake. I want her to enjoy reading without having to be concerned about remembering lots of details and names. The story is the important part IMO not the little details.
With history, science, Bible, biographies, etc., we are dealing with factual things-things that actually happened or are happening. Details are important here. I consider fictional literature to be in a different department.
I think I remember reading that Sonya Shafer doesn’t require narrations from her children for literature as well. I could be wrong on that one. Don’t quote me. 😉
July 31, 2015 at 9:56 am
Alicia Hart
Participant
Yes, it seems like I remember her saying that somewhere as well. I had the same thought come to mind yesterday!
So, I am just playing devil’s advocate here, but are you not concerned about her missing out on learning how to compose (narration) from these excellent writers?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
July 31, 2015 at 10:12 am
missceegee
Participant
Just a different perspective – I do have my kids narrate literature, either orally or with creative written narrations and discussion. Narration is the act of knowing. There is much to be learned from literature that can be missed without it, imho. I’m less concerned with specific details in these narrations, but I want to hear or read how the kids are interacting with the book and making it their own with their perspective and opinion.
July 31, 2015 at 11:14 am
Melanie32
Participant
So, I am just playing devil’s advocate here, but are you not concerned about her missing out on learning how to compose (narration) from these excellent writers?
Since this was never my goal for narrations it didn’t factor into my decision.
I certainly see the value in having students narrate their literature readings. Narration is a wonderful tool and adds much to any study. I guess I don’t want literature to be something we study in our home. I want it to be something we enjoy.
As Christie said, there are many wonderful things to learn from literature and I do want my children to learn those lessons. I’m just not sure that narrating is a must for this to take place. I’ve learned so much from classic literature and I never narrated one bit of it. 🙂
This is just one area in my home where I have chosen to be a bit more relaxed and give my children a break from more formal learning.
On a different note, I do plan on adding in a bit of literature analysis when my daughter is in the later high school years-not because I think it’s necessary for education but because it can be necessary to know these skills for college if she should choose to go that route.
July 31, 2015 at 11:25 am
Melanie32
Participant
I just reread my post and realized that my first statement doesn’t quite come across in the way I meant it to. Certainly I want my daughter to learn how to write from the best authors. I simply meant that I don’t necessarily see narration as the only tool for accomplishing that. Many children do develop writing styles that mimic the authors they are reading but others never quite accomplish that. I’ve seen my daughter develop a wonderful writing style simply from reading so many wonderful books. I don’t feel that my not requiring her to narrate from her literature books affects that. Could narrating from literature books help in this area? Perhaps, but not necessarily.
My goals for narration are that my daughter would process the information she reads and learn how to put it into her own words, not necessarily that she learn to put into her own words in the same style as the original author. That comes naturally to some children, but not all.
July 31, 2015 at 11:29 am
missceegee
Participant
I want to add that my kids narrate assigned literature. They are not required to narrate any free read literature which vastly outweighs assigned literature. Those books still get narrated and discussed informally because it’s what we do. 🙂 I also don’t think my way is the only way, just tossed it out for what it’s worth.
July 31, 2015 at 5:00 pm
Alicia Hart
Participant
Thanks again Christie and Melanie- such rich discussion…..that’s what I LOVE about this forum – lots of ideas. Now I have much to think about. I had my year planned out and I might just have to tweak things a bit -again- LOL!