Start Small
As we learned in Part 1 of this series, narration is a SKILL that takes time to develop, sometimes years. No matter the age of the student, if you are just beginning narration, you must start small.
Fun activities are a great way to develop their attention skills. Here are a few suggestions.
- Give them a very short verbal list of items or tasks (maybe start with one) and have them tell the list to another family member. Let the other family member in on your activity so they know what’s going on.
- While you are adding ingredients to a recipe, have them narrate what you are doing. Ask things like, “So what is this thing called that am I putting in the bowl now?” or, “What am I doing with the spatula?” This may give them an extra opportunity to learn new words. For instance, your child may not know the word ‘stirring’ just yet. Give them all the answers and another time they may remember. Make it enjoyable by modeling what you want them to do.
- As you read picture books, ask them what they think of the pictures. Questions can be about colors, shapes, the characters and what they are doing, or what your child would do if they were in the story. Here is possibly another opportunity to learn new words. Your child may see what’s going on in the story but may not have the vocabulary to express it in words. This would make narration extremely difficult. Take advantage of this opportunity and model narration for them. This activity is not necessarily about gaining ideas from the words but more about honing the skill of paying attention through observation.
- When you are outside either driving or walking ask them to tell you what they see. You could begin by telling them something you see.
How to Ask for a Narration after a Reading
After your child has had lots of practice narrating activities, you can begin reading narration. Picture books or short stories like Aesop’s Fables are a great way to start oral narrations. You can even start with books they have already heard or read. The key is to start with a little bit.
YOUNGER STUDENTS
Tell me what happened to________________(choose a character from the reading)?
Where were they?
What did the they do?
What was your favorite part, or least favorite part, or the most interesting part?
Tell me what you learned from that passage.
OLDER STUDENTS
Who were the characters in this part of the story?
What happened?
Why do you think they did_______?
Should they have done__________?
Tell me your thoughts on this passage.
Narration is Not Memorizing
The verbal feedback we are looking for is not word-for-word, memorized material. That is a different skill altogether and worthy of another post. Some children think that when we ask them to tell us what we just read, we mean they must repeat exactly. Although some children may be able to do this successfully, it is skipping the processing step and is not narration. If you find they are melting down because they can’t remember, they may be trying to memorize.
Model, Model, and Model Some More
Children just beginning to narrate may need lots of help. Modeling this verbal feedback shows children what you mean when you ask them to “tell back.” The words “tell back” may be confusing, so show them what it means to tell back. Answer your own questions to give them examples.
Use Inspiring Material
As you feed your children’s minds, they will be able to handle more difficult material, although maybe not right away. You may need to start off with Dr. Seuss instead of Robinson Crusoe. Even and older child who is not used to narration can benefit from a simple but well-written book. The 1000 Good Books List has many good book suggestions for different ages (HSOK has not vetted all these books so please read with caution).
