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Meredith
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| Posted: Sept 01 2005 at 6:26pm | IP Logged
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OK, I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but how many narrations do you dictate per week per child. My 9 yo dd narrates tons orally, my ds 6 is a little more reluctant. When it comes to actually getting it on the paper it seems like we're barely getting one per week and sometimes not even that for each child. I'm not too terribly concerned about my younger student, but my for my dd it seems we should be doing more. Input please  .
Personally I LOVE to get them on the computer so we have an account of what we've learned even though they have narrated plenty in an oral fashion. We do lots of picture narrations. Well you get the point here. Bring it on 
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Meredith
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Mary G
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| Posted: Sept 01 2005 at 6:37pm | IP Logged
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As mine our just 5 and 6, we do alot of picture and verbal (when Daddy gets home) narrations. But I too, like having a "saved" copy on the hard-drive. My 6 yos can't stand to do dictated narration -- will give me the minimum, but does have his facts/events in order. Maggie (5) on the other hand, turns her narrations into stories where "she waxes poetic" on the story and embellishes to her heart's content. 
We only do one or two of the written per week; but we'll probably "step that up" as they get more and more used to it.
Hope that helps.
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Marybeth
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| Posted: Sept 06 2005 at 4:35pm | IP Logged
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We are aiming for one per week written (by me) and saved. This way we can show Daddy and have a record of our first year of narrations. I'm hoping we stick to it!! 
Marybeth
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juliecinci
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| Posted: Sept 06 2005 at 10:14pm | IP Logged
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Stop counting. 
I suggest instead paying attention to your child. Make it a habit to listen. Work harder on listening during the times when you are usually busy or not tuned in.
Narrating need not be quantified. It needs to be lived.
As far as written ones go, only jot down what is interesting. That might mean one week you have one or two and then nothing for three weeks. The goal isn't to get things on paper to show anyone. It's to cultivate a habit of communication where the child who is talking is coaxed to share, nurtured and heard.
Don't forget that narrating is also happening when your kids call Grandma and share about the dog, when you make cookies and talk about the recipe, when a child explains how to log onto the computer to another child, when Dad comes home and asks what you all did that day.
If you want to record/write down some of it, I find that one of the easier "techniques" (for want of a better word) is to "catch your child in the act of thinking." If one of them starts to retell something juicy (like while you are making dinner or showering, of course), STOP what you are doing and grab the nearest supermarket receipt/scratch paper. Flip it over and start writing.
Your child will wonder what the heck you're doing. Say "Shh... Keep going. This is too good to miss. I want to share it with Daddy later tonight."
Then write down what is said. And at dinner, read it to Dad.
Start the circle of narrating by valuing what is freely shared with enthusiasm. Listen, jot it down and share it. Don't add them up. Enjoy them.
Hope that helps.
Julie
P.S. Narrations that are done "on command" can have some value but often become irksome to the child. I would not recommend "requiring" narrations of kids under 12. I would work to create the space for them to occur naturally.
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Julie
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Marybeth
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| Posted: Sept 06 2005 at 10:28pm | IP Logged
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Thank you Julie. Once again, you have given everyone plenty of food for thought!
I think I will stick some paper in the kitchen b/c you are right and it will happen right as dinner prep is under way!!!
Marybeth
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Meredith
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| Posted: Sept 07 2005 at 10:01am | IP Logged
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juliecinci wrote:
Stop counting.
I suggest instead paying attention to your child. Make it a habit to listen. Work harder on listening during the times when you are usually busy or not tuned in.
Narrating need not be quantified. It needs to be lived.
It's to cultivate a habit of communication where the child who is talking is coaxed to share, nurtured and heard.
Don't forget that narrating is also happening when your kids call Grandma and share about the dog, when you make cookies and talk about the recipe, when a child explains how to log onto the computer to another child, when Dad comes home and asks what you all did that day.
Start the circle of narrating by valuing what is freely shared with enthusiasm. Listen, jot it down and share it. Don't add them up. Enjoy them.
Hope that helps.
Julie
P.S. Narrations that are done "on command" can have some value but often become irksome to the child. I would not recommend "requiring" narrations of kids under 12. I would work to create the space for them to occur naturally. |
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Julie, I appreciate your words. I DO pay attention to and LISTEN to my children very attentively. As I said in my post almost ALL our narrations are oral and listened to with great earnest, I just feel like it would be nice for THEM to have in their notebooks for whatever the topic is.
I am also well aware of all the non-schoolish types of narrations and my kids are stellar at them as well.
There is no need for me to quantify them because I am not required to keep records in my state, but I know my children LOVE to look back through their work throughout the school year and lovingly remember all their great narrations and pictures, etc that went along with a study or time period. Since we have just begun our new year I was feeling as though maybe we were lacking in this area when really we are not
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Meredith
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juliecinci
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| Posted: Sept 07 2005 at 12:34pm | IP Logged
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Hey Meredith. Sounds like you've got it down pat.
One thing I did last year (similar to what you are wanting to do this year) is to record a narration of our activities as we did them (that I wrote myself, that included quotes or comments from the kids). For example, when we visited the art museum, I came home and wrote up a piece about it to save for the year-end state evaluation for homeschool. I've done it at other times for pure enjoyment. My kids enjoy it when I read these because it brings the event back to life.
I posted it here, if you're interested.
So if you find it difficult to get everything down in the moment, you can return to the event and narrate it yourself using remembered comments of your kids to enhance the description.
Just a thought!
Julie
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Julie
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Meredith
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| Posted: Sept 08 2005 at 2:47pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for sharing your narration Julie! I've actually begun this too with our nature studies and family hikes we've been taking over the summer. I love it and I'll add anecdotes from the kids as I remember them and sometimes ask them to elaborate for me so I can get it down. They love it too that mom's doing her own narrations and nature book. I am also journalling our school days and my own personal thoughts and quotes, poetry, copywork and stuff.
Thanks for more inspiration, love your blog by the way .
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Meredith
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Topic: How many narrations each week??
