Written Narrations – Advancing Abilities and Topics?

Hey Christie,

The amount of advice I can offer you is probably very minimal. You are much further ahead in your journey than I am, and I know nothing of AG or Apologia’s Jump In! I’ll give it a shot, though.

My initial thought was that you might take the first term (or longer) of this next year to really focus on her narrations with her. Although she’s been doing independent written narrations, it might be time for you to get your hands dirty (so to speak) and jump back in with a presence for some direction, inspiration, and/or instruction on how to get her to expand her writing. It might make sense for her to start simply, with lists or outlines to help guide her writing. For example, let’s say you want her to compare/contrast the protagonist and antagonist in your current literature book. She’ll first need an explanation of what comparing and contrasting are, as that’s a pretty abstract concept. Then she may want to make a list with two columns with each character’s name at the top of the columns. Then she can write down different things about them and structure her list in such a way that as she lists the characteristics of the protagonist, she can then list next to it the opposing characteristics of the antagonist, maybe their different feelings, motives, actions, etc. Does that make sense?

Once she’s got a good list, she can translate it into her writing, where she can focus on her spelling, punctuation, elaborative sentences, and other skills you’re wanting her to develop. 

Another thought I had was to let her keep a journal where she simply writes her thoughts and feelings, chapter by chapter, from a book the two of you have chosen together. Since I have no way of knowing what she’s already read and I know your home library is extensive, I can’t think of a title off hand, but I’m sure you could come up with something. 😉 She could write a journal entry after each chapter, where she can just share her own thoughts or how she was inspired or whatever you direct her to do.

Finally, my thinking keeps leading me to our own Creative Writing Jar. Rather than doing what we do and just having random, though-provoking questions for creative writing, you could create a topic-specific or book-specific jar with questions already there, and she must write her narrations based on the luck of her draw. You’d have to organize the topics in such a way so that she wasn’t prompted to narrate a part of the book that she hasn’t yet read, but again, I know you could figure that out. 

No matter what you choose, I think your presence and direction in this is going to be her best helper as she learns to expand her writing. Please let me know what you do choose to do. We’ve got a couple of years yet, but I always want to be prepared for the future!

Blessings,

Lindsey