Narration

January 21st, 2008

Narration is a beautifully, simple concept that allows the child to interact with a given text on their level.  If you have been homeschooling for any length of time, and been using the Charlotte Mason method, you have undoubtedly read For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay.  If you are new to homeschooling or just thinking about homeschooling in a few years, I highly recommend getting this book and digesting its principles.  It inspires the reader to develop an enjoyable environment at home that stimulates active, thinking and learning as a lifestyle.

Narration is the retelling of a story in ones own words. It is the natural result of enjoyable reading.  With the Charlotte Mason method a child retells a story in his own words.  A very young child can draw, or tell back what he heard and an older student would write out what they heard.  In doing this, they have to sort, categorize, and digest the story in such a way that their brain holds its meaning long after the initial first reading.  One of the many benefits of narration, is that it eliminates the need for fill in the blank testing.  The deeper meanings of the text will quietly work away and seep out into their play time and other free times, all the while molding and shaping them.

That is why it is so important to feed their little hearts and minds with “living books”.  In this way, they are able to sit and be trained by the greatest minds throughout history. You will be amazed to find that even a six year old can love the work of Shakespeare.  It does not matter the age of your child, or how long you have been homeschooling, you can add the “art of story telling” into your schooling plan and reap the many benefits. 

Here is a wonderful link with many thoughts and ideas on narration.

Entry Filed under: Year One, Narration