Tips for Successful Narration | Charlotte Mason Homeschool
Welcome back, friends! As a Charlotte Mason Homeschool family, narration is something we do after each and every lesson! If you’re unfamiliar with what narration is, in short, it’s basically having your child, in their own words, tell you what they know about what they’ve learned. You can sincerely request narration from your child with the simple phrase, “Tell me what you’ve learned.” Narration is a key component of the Charlotte Mason homeschooling philosophy, but it’s also a wonderful tool to implement in any classroom. One of the biggest benefits of narration is that it encourages children to engage deeply with what they read, and helps develop their understanding and communication skills.
Since the beginning of my homeschool journey, I’ve noticed many moms struggling with giving their children a love and ease for narration. As a homeschool mom of five, with a now Year 2 Ambleside Online student who has been flourishing with narration from the beginning, I’m sharing my top tips for narration success!
Use a Living Book:
Charlotte Mason believed in exposing children to rich, beautiful literature. So, imagine how frustrating it would be for a child to even have the desire to tell what they know after reading a lifeless book, or a glitzy book jam-packed with “twaddle?” Face it, it’s not as inspiring to recall and repeat facts back to mom as it is to share the excitement of what you know from hearing or reading an incredible thought provoking story! The quality of the material you choose will naturally inspire better narrations, so be sure to select books with strong narratives, interesting characters, descriptive language, and engaging content to encourage your child’s interest and imagination. Avoid books of “twaddle” that are filled with cookie cutter illustrations, and language that dumbs down your child’s intelligence.
Start Off Simple:
All you need to start narration is a “living book,” and a child that is at least 6 years old. (While my younger than 6 year old children naturally want to get involved in narration, they should never be expected at their young age.) Begin with short readings of a living book, and stop periodically to encourage your child to retell the story or passage in their own words. Do not expect some grand response in the beginning! If you are a type A mom, you may need to bite your tongue in advance to avoid killing the joy of narration by expecting too much too soon. Remember to trust the process.
If you have a hunch that a reading is too long for your child, you can stop after every few paragraphs, and have them narrate as you see fit, continue your reading of the next few paragraphs, have them narrate again, and repeat! As they get older and more confident, you can always gradually increase the length and complexity of the readings, but when in doubt, a good rule of thumb is it’s better to give them a shorter passage before asking them to narrate, than to give them a longer passage before asking them to narrate.
Begin with Verbal Narration:
Start your child’s narration journey off by asking them to narrate verbally. This helps them develop verbal expression and improves their listening and comprehension skills. In Charlotte Mason’s philosophy, written narrations are not expected until Grade 4. (Since many young children are still learning to write up until that point, you don’t want to expect them to start any written narrations until then.) If your child is Grade 4, or older, and just starting narration, don’t expect perfection because just like any beginner they will need to start slow as well. Meet your child where they are, and once they reach 4th grade, you can work up to the goal of written narration once a week! (Otherwise, they will still continue verbal narrations with all other subjects.)
Allow Freedom:
Let your child narrate in their own style. Some children may be more detailed, while others might focus on the main points of the reading when telling you what they learned. It's important to respect their individual way of processing information, and not criticize, or get them to answer the way you want them to answer. If you do this, your child will always be looking to give you the answer they believe YOU want to hear, instead of thinking for themselves.
Include Open-ended Questions:
I think many moms believe narration is a tedious and bothersome request for a child to tell you what they learned after each and every lesson. I agree, “Tell me what you learned” can sound exhausting if it’s done in a robotic and monotonous way! However, if we approach our desire to hear what our child has to say with extreme sincerity and enthusiasm, I think we can avoid this. There’s a huge opportunity to present your child with interesting, open-ended questions to prompt further thought. For example, "What did you find interesting about this story?" or "How did the character feel when this happened?" “What would you have done in their situation"?” These questions will help guide them towards deeper reflection and better discussions.
Keep it fun!
Narration should be a positive, enjoyable experience, not a stressful task. Make it a time for your child to express what they’ve learned in a way that feels natural. Remember, that narration is a skill that develops over time. Avoid rushing the process or correcting your child’s story, immediately. I find if narration is presented like work, then the child feels that burden, but if you are sincerely engaged and interested in what your child has to say, they will enjoy it much more. Let them learn how to express themselves at their own pace so that they do not feel discouraged, and it won’t be a dread!
In the beginning, do not be offended if you hear your child say, “Why do I need to tell you what I learned, we just read it together?!” At the start, my child asked me this too! Explain to your child that narrating is for them, not for you, and that doing so each lesson will build their thinking muscles, and benefit their communication skills. Narration will help them get stronger the more they do it! Once I explained this to my child, he no longer asked me this question. And yet, remember…we are all human. Understand that for days in a row you may get beautiful narrations and then BAM, a real downer. On the other hand, you may get days and days of heartless narrations, and then BAM, a real gem! Lather grace on you and your child, and keep going!!
Offer Creative Options:
In the beginning of narrations, we start with verbal, but you can offer other creative options too that can create a lot of excitement! Sometimes, offering your child the option to draw or sketch what they've narrated can help them process the material more deeply. You can also get creative by having them make a scene from the reading out of play doh, or kinetic sand, and take/print a picture to document in their narration journal! They could narrate a story through a song, a skit, a poem, or even a timeline. How about acting out a scene, or writing a letter to one of the main characters? You can also become inspired to partake in a handicraft which can enhance their understanding and provide a tangible connection to the narration. The opportunities are endless and offering variety will help them develop different skills and modes of expression!
If time allows, I like to occasionally give my child free range for how he would like to narrate which can help him feel more enthusiastic, creative, and empowered. Giving your children control over their method of choice can make narration feel more exciting and personal to them.
Gradually Add Written Narration:
As your child becomes comfortable with oral narration, you can transition to written narrations. Written narrations are not typically expected until grade 4 when children are starting to get more confidence with writing. Start with shorter reading passages, and give them time to express their thoughts on paper. My 7 year old son occasionally asks me to write his narration, and in this case I let him, but I’m sure to not critique, correct, or discourage his efforts! (Since he is not yet in fourth grade, if he doesn’t ask me to write his narration again the next time, I won’t require, or expect anything.)
Avoid Over-Correction:
While it's tempting to correct every mistake, try not to over-correct, or interrupt the flow of your child’s narration. If your child’s narration contains errors, you can make note of them, but allow them to narrate freely first to build confidence. After your child is done narrating, you can praise, and then subtly correct your child in a non-obvious way.
Narrate Throughout Everyday Life:
Narration doesn’t have to be confined to books. Encourage your child to narrate events from their day, what they learned at their extracurricular, their experiences in nature, or even a conversation they overheard. Take a walk outside and encourage your child to narrate what they see. You can start with simple descriptions of sights, sounds, and smells, and gradually build up to more as they grow. This reinforces the skill of observation and reflection.
Challenge your child’s memory by asking them to recall details from earlier readings or narrations. This helps them develop retention and strengthens their ability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely. We do this often with past artist studies that we have hanging on our wall. They make for great conversation topics around the dinner table! I’ll ask my children to “Tell me what they recall about each painting, or artist?,” or maybe “Which is their favorite and why?” They are especially receptive whenever I ask them to “Tell daddy what you learned about so-and-so in school today!! It was really exciting, dad!” Highly recommend!
Use a Narration Journal:
Allow your child to keep a dedicated narration journal where they can write, draw, or even paste pictures related to their narrations. This provides a personal space for creative expression and reflection that you can assess over time. Since my child’s first year of homeschool, I have written down, after each lesson, all that my student has narrated. It is a labor of love to take down his narrations “word-for-word,” but also a great keepsake and compiled book of all he has learned. Occasionally, we review past narrations to see how his understanding and storytelling skills have progressed. It also sparks great conversation about how their thoughts have evolved as they've grown!
Lots of Praise and Encouragement:
Lastly, and most importantly, celebrate your child’s effort to retell the story, and praise their ability for making connections and expressing themselves. Positive reinforcement builds confidence and makes them eager to keep on narrating!
I hope you've enjoyed the ways I successfully use narration in our homeschool! Share this helpful post with a fellow homeschool mama, and if you have any other questions, I'd love to see them in the comments below! Happy narrating!
Cool, Mom, and Collectedly Yours,
