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Maryan
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| Posted: Feb 27 2012 at 11:33am | IP Logged
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... I haven't read the book! 
I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I wasn't sure how to search for similar topics because "narration" is huge!
We have a busy this year, and I haven't finished some of the books that I have assigned for narration (some I just assign to read - no narration).
How do you handle this? As my kids' books get longer, I'm having a hard time prereading everyone's books!!
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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Mackfam
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I don't pre-read all my kids books. Frankly, I can't keep up. I have learned over the years of authors I trust, reviews and recommendations I can trust. If I'm taking a chance on a book, I will probably skim it very quickly before I assign it. I can skim pretty quickly and can get a good sense of the book by skimming...so that would be a good skill to have I think.
But, your question is about a narration from a book you haven't read....
This is my take, and this is actually my favorite kind of narration!
1) I must exercise my attention when the child narrates because I like to begin each narration with a very succinct review of where we were in the story and the ability to do that depends on my having paid attention to the last narration.
2) I can really get a good sense of whether the child understands the story, as well as his/her ability to convey his thoughts effectively because my ONLY contact with the story is going to be through his narrations. In other words, these narrations give me a really good sense of what the child *got* from their reading and it isn't colored at all with any memories or preconceived ideas I may have from having read the story.
3) It encourages me to really engage the child. Not that a narration from something I've read before doesn't....but again, it's my having to bring my full attention to this narration. And, I do ask questions for clarity at the end of narrations! What I do not do, because I cannot do it since I haven't read the book, is put upon the child something I think they should have gotten out of the book. This narration can be delightfully and exclusively what the child got out of the reading.
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How do I handle these narrations?
Just like I handle any other.
1) We begin the narration with me saying something like, "Yesterday (or last week), the family you were reading about had just moved to their grandfather's house because their house was burned by Tories. What happened in your reading today?"
2) I give my full attention. The narration should convey a sense of the story. I should understand the story through the details the child gives. If I don't understand I wait until the narration is finished and ask questions to help me understand the story.
THE END. 
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Maryan
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| Posted: Feb 27 2012 at 3:15pm | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
| 3) It encourages me to really engage the child. Not that a narration from something I've read before doesn't....but again, it's my having to bring my full attention to this narration. And, I do ask questions for clarity at the end of narrations! What I do not do, because I cannot do it since I haven't read the book, is put upon the child something I think they should have gotten out of the book. This narration can be delightfully and exclusively what the child got out of the reading. |
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 Thanks Jen! All the advice was super helpful, but this in particular helped my dilemma of feeling like I wasn't able to get everything out of a narration "session!"
I did tons of prereading, but we're hitting a stretch of mom-ran-out-of-time and the books are this week!
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Feb 27 2012 at 3:42pm | IP Logged
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Maryan wrote:
| did tons of prereading, but we're hitting a stretch of mom-ran-out-of-time and the books are this week! |
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I think that sometime around my oldest being in 6th or 7th grade I was stepping out a little bit into territory in which she was reading a book that I hadn't pre-read. I was a little nervous about it at first, so I gave the book a good skim and handed it over because I was simply at a point like you that I just didn't have any more time to squeeze out of the day and be able to read the book in time for her to read it. I think my uncertainty formed my very sincere motivation to deeply engage in her narrations of those books especially, and I remember that being formational in my choosing books, too. I sharpened my skimming skills in reading How to Read a Book (chapter on skimming) by Mortimer Adler.
From those first uncertain narrations listened to with utmost care and giving my fullest measure of attention, it became a very welcome habit and I especially enjoy those narrations of books that are a mystery to me. I still skim, but I don't pre-read much any more.
Enjoy your narrations this week, Maryan!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Maryan
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| Posted: Feb 27 2012 at 8:01pm | IP Logged
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I hadn't heard of the Mortimer book! I'll have to try it! I hadn't thought of skimming. My mind was locked on all or nothing.  That's a good idea.
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Feb 27 2012 at 8:14pm | IP Logged
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Maryan wrote:
| I hadn't heard of the Mortimer book! |
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It's not really a light read, Maryan. Just wanted to warn you. Check it out of the library to preview it. My high schooler is reading it V-E-R-Y---S-L-O-W-L-Y! She says it has some very helpful ideas.
But yes.....SKIMMING has its place!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Maryan
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| Posted: Feb 27 2012 at 8:22pm | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
| It's not really a light read, Maryan. Just wanted to warn you. Check it out of the library to preview it. My high schooler is reading it V-E-R-Y---S-L-O-W-L-Y! She says it has some very helpful ideas. |
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Thanks for the warning! When I went to Amazon, I recognized the cover. I might have seen it in a Memoria Press catalog? Or maybe Emmanuel? But I took a glance at the table of contents, I was beginning to wonder if this should be on mom's summer reading rather than her here and now list! It does look good though!
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Feb 27 2012 at 8:39pm | IP Logged
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Well it's the kind of book that's totally fine to read out of order - so you could borrow it from the library and read the chapter on skimming right now and get a pretty good feel for the book. And....it's the kind of book that you could read one chapter now, and pick it up in 6 months and read another chapter or so and still get something out of it. It's just NOT the kind of book you're going to curl up around in front of the fire with hot chocolate in hand.
The book is on Ambleside's reading list, Year 10, I believe. But I've seen it mentioned in other places, too. It's a very helpful book for an older student to read....or an old mom like me.
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Jen Mackintosh
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Topic: Help! Narrations when...
