Narration
Overpressure.--A great deal has been said lately about the danger of overpressure, of requiring too much mental work from a child of tender years. The danger exists; but lies, not in giving the child too much, but in giving him the wrong thing to do, the sort of work for which the present state of his mental development does not fit him.
“But one who tries this method on himself will find that in the act of narrating every power of his mind comes into play.
Another instruction runs, "Written composition is not to be begun until the children are in Class III. Concise orderly narrations in clear sentences must be exacted from the first." Now children have a natural talent for language: by his fourth year many a child has collected an amazingly good vocabulary, and uses his new words with a fitness which amuses his elders; children are very well able to narrate and to narrate well; and to get into the habit of telling a story, giving all the circumstances in due order, adding nothing and omitting nothing,--why, this is a liberal education in itself, quite invaluable in these days, when that of speaking well, and to the point, is of far more use to both men and women than the power of writing equally well. There is a time for all things; there is a season of natural readiness of speech in children which teachers would do well to take at the flood, and not "get them on" to write miserably ill-spelt, ill-written, ill-expressed "compositions." As a matter of fact, it would be well that a child should not know how to express himself in writing until he is fully ten years old. The real difficulty is, set a child to write a narrative and he is out of your way, you are free to attend to other matters; set him to speak his narrative, and he claims your whole attention-- now is your time to get clear enunciation, exact statements, orderly arrangement.- PR Home School
Forms V and VI. (High School) In these Forms some definite teaching in the art of composition is advisable, but not too much, lest the young scholars be saddled with a stilted style which may encumber them for life” Charlotte Mason (CM Vol. 6, p. 193)
Narration is often defined as:
nar·ra·tion
/nəˈrāSH(ə)n/
noun
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the action or process of narrating a story.
"the style of narration in the novel"
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a commentary delivered to accompany a movie, broadcast, etc.
"Moore's narration is often sarcastic"
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PRIMARY RULED
WIDE RULED
COLLEGE RULED
Narration Notebooks
Narration Notebooks provide students with a place to complete narrations and copywork for reading selections. Our Narration Notebooks have been tailored toward the needs of Charlotte Mason and Classical Education student needs. Inside each Narration Notebook you will find a space for picture narration and copywork in addition to written narration and copywork.
If your student is not writing narrations yet, no problem! Simply note their narration on the lines for them as they narrate orally. Choose passage from any book of your choosing and begin. Narration Notebooks are a great way to document your students dedication and hard work.
Three different Narration Notebooks are available to suit the individual needs of your students. We have primary ruled for those still working on proper letter formation and placement. We have wide ruled Narration Notebooks, and college ruled Narration Notebooks.
Helpful narration prompts are also included in each Narration Notebook!
Narration, the art of telling, has been used as a pedagogical tool since ancient times. Over one hundred years ago, Charlotte Mason methodized narration and implemented it in scores of schools in Great Britain. Over the past few decades, educators in the US, mostly in home schools, have followed her guidelines with outstanding results.
This book discusses the theory behind the use of narration and then walks through the process from beginning to end, to show how simply "telling" is the foundation for higher-level thinking and writing.
While narration has grown popular among homeschoolers, it also works well in the classroom. In this book, you will find sample narrations and many resources to help you use narration with your students in any setting. If you've been wanting to try narration, but haven't felt confident enough to rely on an unfamiliar method, this book will give you the tools that you need to make the process easier.
People are narrating every day, and this book will show you how to make that natural activity a vital part of education that enhances children's relationship with knowledge and allows them to grow into skilled communicators.