Last time we discussed Nature study as perhaps the most obvious of Charlotte Mason’s suggested activities that utilizes many senses, hence appealing more to non-traditional learners. Of course, we are talking about being outside and actually observing nature first hand, rather than studying nature from books alone.  If you missed it, read that post here. Thankfully, Charlotte Mason’s educational methods dovetail with non-traditional learning in many other ways as well!

Train up a Child in the Way HE Should Go…

Many of the public school classrooms that most of us languished in only allowed for the traditional (auditory-sequential) learner to use her gifts. Hear a lecture, read a book, and then write a report on it.  Ho hum.

But if you have homeschooled for a while, you have probably noticed that all of your students do not learn in the same ways and they are not motivated by the same type of assignments. (Is that an understatement, or what?)  As we have mentioned before, as they become older, children begin to exhibit preferences for the way they like to learn.  Some like learning things out loud, perhaps to music, or maybe they like to discuss ideas orally.  There are others who need to read to learn, and are totally distracted by little brother’s humming and toe-tapping. Some think and remember best if information is presented in picture, chart or graph formats. Still others need to move around to maximize their learning.

Pay attention to these details and study your children in order to give them the opportunity to let them do their best work. Give them that opportunity by letting them use as many of their senses as possible, especially until you have identified which one they use the most.  Then maximize it by incorporating it into their assignments regularly.  They will be more engaged and cooperative when assigned work they enjoy and feel good about their ability to do!

Students Benefit by Hands on Learning

Activities that are hands on in nature generally benefit ALL types of learners, but especially those who are more ‘right-brained,’ which includes many non-traditional learners. So by giving your students the opportunity to do more hands on activities, you are maximizing all of your kids’ abilities to learn, but you are especially giving your non-traditional learners the chance to shine.  So continue to use those ‘living books’ in your schooling and have your students orally narrate.  But in addition, make sure students are not just reading and hearing; they also need to be seeing and doing.

For example:

• Have your students work on a project such as hooking a rug or dipping candles while you are reading to them about colonial times.

• Incorporate field trips into your school as often as possible – don’t just read about a farm, go visit one!  Let your students produce a photo essay of the trip instead of a written report.

• Let your children draw pictures while you are reading to them. Let your student narrate afterward, using his pictures.

• Create mini-books/lapbooks, Power-point presentations, or create video “TV commercials”  instead of writing traditional reports.

• Create African costumes and cook authentic African food while reading about Africa.

• Research and plan to have an evening of Olympic Games while reading about Ancient Greece.

Other Narration Ideas

As you know, one of those foundational beliefs of Ms. Mason’s was that information was not truly absorbed until it was reproduced in some way, usually through verbal narration.  But there are many ways to reproduce information.  I would not slight that method, however; especially if your children are younger and just starting out to ‘tell back’ that which they have read or have had read to them.  But as children become older, it is especially helpful for the non-traditional learner to be able to narrate in her own way, using her own natural bents.

• Let your very visual child actually take ‘notes’ in pictures while you are reading or teaching him.

• Allow more ‘hands on’ narration, in addition to the above suggestion, such as producing a dramatization, painting a picture, or creating a poem to ‘narrate’ what has been read.

Picture and Music Study

By their very nature, Picture and Music study appeal to the senses and should not be neglected. Some children are reached by art and/or music in a way that can’t be touched by reading.  Read about picture study here.  Books about period music and artists, as well as CD suggestions are included in every unit of our complete programs.

I’m so thankful that our kids have the opportunity to be taught the way that best suits them, rather than the way that best suits the school system!  If you have non-traditional learners at home, I would love to hear how YOU have incorporated Charlotte Mason’s methodology into your homeschool!   Please consider leaving a comment below.

Gratefully His,

Narrating is an art, like poetry-making or painting, because it is there, in every child’s mind, waiting to be discovered, and is not the result of any process of disciplinary education.

The foundation of a Charlotte Mason education is regular feeding upon superior, living books: books that endow children with excitement, with new ideas, heroic ideas, which shape their minds and expand their spirits.  As opposed to textbooks which contain compilations of dry facts, we want living books abounding with stories.  Both children and adults have trouble remembering lists of facts; but stories are memorable; they incite the imagination; they can be life-changing.

Charlotte does not stop at just reading the stories, however.  She believed that knowledge is not appropriated by the student until it is told back, or narrated.  Beginning with short snatches of captivating stories, teachers are to read a paragraph or so, once, and then have students narrate what they have heard.

Narration, according to Ms. Mason:

• is a natural ability inherent in children that is awakened by excellent literature
• engages children’s minds such that information they read is considered, meditated upon and then is given back with some of the children’s own thoughts (assimilation)
• helps students understand and retain information about which they read
• should be used as a primary method of learning across the subjects

When to Start

When the child is six, not earlier, let him narrate the fairy-tale which has been read to him, episode by episode, upon one hearing of each; the Bible tale read to him in the words of the Bible; the well-written animal story; or all about other lands from some such volume…

Ms. Mason believed that short narrations should start by age six, over lighter, but classic, short episodes of literature, including the Bible.  Perfect literature for this purpose would be the short episodes of Aesop’s Fables (Stories for Young Children).
Start with a paragraph at a time, and make sure to read through the selection consecutively.

The next day, before starting the next narration/lesson, engage your student in a brief chat about yesterday’s lesson, affording the student a short period of review.  She suggests a few anticipatory comments about today’s lesson as well, to encourage your child to be ready to eagerly listen to what will be forthcoming.

As students grow in practice and maturity, they may be able to begin to narrate a short chapter in a history or science book as they reach ages eight and nine. At that age, a few comments after the narration may be helpful to identify and emphasize the moral elements of the passage. In the case of history or science reading, perhaps a chart or diagram might be drawn on the board to identify or clarify the elements to remember from the passage or to illustrate a scientific principle covered.

If narration is a new activity in your home, it is important to allow for a learning curve.  It is not necessary for your child to narrate every passage that he reads or is read to him. Often it is preferable to read a chapter or two of a book before beginning narrations on it, to build interest and aid your student’s immersion into the story.  If your child does not want to narrate, well, we all have to do things we don’t want to do, right?  Stay positive, enthusiastic, encouraging, and keep them short. J

Do I Correct Faulty Information?

What do I do when my child narrates incorrectly?  This is a common question!  A few strategies for dealing with it are listed below.

• It is preferable not to interrupt a narration with corrections.
• Only after praising what was positive about a narration and after encouraging a child for his efforts, gently make necessary corrections.
• If you notice a repeated grammatical error, such as a double negative, incorrect subject-verb agreement, etc., make a note to cover that area later during a language arts lesson.
• If your student has many details to remember, such as difficult names, dates, or places, it may be helpful to put those items on a white board before the narration.

Other Forms of Narration

Fortunately, there are other forms of narration other than oral ones, although it is preferable to begin with oral narrations for the younger children. Although it is certainly admissible to have a younger student draw a picture illustrating what was just read rather than an oral recitation.

Another option, especially for the older student (10 or 11 on up) is to provide a written narration over what they have either had read to them or over what they have read independently.  Sometimes the easiest way to start written narrations is to have students not worry too much about grammar and punctuation until they have written down everything they remember. Then during their next day’s writing lesson they can go back and clean things up a little.

Children can narrate not only from books, they may also narrate over art work and music.  As with all narration, this may be either oral, written or in picture form.  Some ideas about picture study narration can be found here. Narration over music can be accomplished merely by playing a stirring piece of music and then asking your student to tell about what story they could imagine taking place in the music.  Equally, they could also be asked to draw a picture over what they heard in the music.

An added benefit of regular narration in those early years is that it helps order children’s minds and prepares them for formal composition lessons once they reach the appropriate age.  The more exposure they have to hear, read and narrate excellent children’s literature, the more prepared they will be when it becomes time for them to write.

Happy Narrating!

Blessings,