Listening to Narrations

In my readings of Charlotte Mason's Series, I have come to realize that when a child listens to a reading with ears that need to remember what they are listening to in order to tell it back to you is so much more different that listening with ears that will listen and then quickly forget what they heard. A child who is able to tell you back in detail what they heard you read to them will store it away in their minds and it will live there along with all of the best of characters that are alive to them. - I love that!


One of the hardest topics to comprehend in regards to Charlotte Mason education is Narrating. We are in the beginning stages of our education years, and hearing about narrating at first was just one of those things that made me think, "Not so sure why this is important, but I'll go along with it and see what happens."
I am now finding there is so much more to narrating that is deeper and more complex that what first meets the eye!
Here is a very brief summary of what I am learning about in listening to my child narrate back to me:

1. to be keenly interested in the child's "telling back" sessions

2. pay attention to their narrating (okay... this one can be hard when my daughters like to tell back every little detail and my mind is on dinner ;))

3.Never interrupt a narration

4.Show interest by perhaps commenting on the given narration

5. We should not interfere with the assimilation process by asking questions to get the child to reason, or show pictures to aid his imagination, or point out moral lessons to sharpen his conscience- these are things that happen naturally.



So these are just some brief notes I took on this one section of my readings, I'm sure I will glean a few more as I continue with my readings!

I will also be taking notes in CM Series on History this week.

Handicraft

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AO Parents' Review Archives AmblesideOnline.org: "If only mothers and nurses knew more about cultivating the instinct of children, their time would be spent more happily and profitably. Boys and girls in schools are generally delighted to have some manual work going on; and I heard of a little girl the other day who asked to be allowed to come back early to school to finish a clay model she was making. Boys are quite ready to work overtime to complete their hand work."

I am one of those rare women who forces myslef to be crafty, but after reading Charlotte Mason's ideas about handicrafts, I realized that it is hust an important subject as well.. math *cough* I have since changed my outlook and realized that I have to just...well... suck it up. (bad choice of words?)

A wonderful woman in our church has comitted to come over once a week and teach sewing to a group of us- and I am so thrilled that my kids love it!- Who'd a thought? (not me :D)

Timmy sews and loves it!

Our project- a needle holder
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The "gang" with Robin- our teacher

Brooke and Audrey

My dear friend Jaime and her daughter Alysse

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Series- The Knowledge of God

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Series: "Of the three sorts of knowledge proper to a child, the knowledge of God, of man, and of the universe,––the knowledge of God ranks first in importance, is indispensable, and most happy-making. Mothers are on the whole more successful in communicating this knowledge than are teachers who know the children less well and have a narrower, poorer standard of measurement for their minds."- Charlotte Mason

Our Mornings are always begun with devotions. I am so passionate about devotions because I feel Parents hold the key to their children's view on God, not only that, but a Mother and Father have a particular responsibility to display a Love for God in the most intimate place- the home. Children watch and their world-view is fashioned and formed by what they see them do and how they act at home as well as how Mom and Dad talk about God daily.
So...

We begin our day setting the timer for 25 minutes.

One Child will pray one day and the other another day. Although Miss Mason preferred children being read right out of King James, I chose to read out of the Child's Story Bible by Catherine Voss. It is the best and well- written Bibles for children I have ever read- she does an excellent job telling the stories of the Bible in an accurate way and also tying the Cross and God's redemptive plan all throughout the Bible beginning in the Old Testament. - An excellent substitute!

We spend a few minutes in Narration- them "telling back" the story in their own words- with me usually asking a question such as in our reading yesterday about the friends lowering the crippled man through the ceiling to Jesus: " What is a warning to us today about how the Pharisee's treated the sick and lame on Sundays?" or " What example did Jesus leave about why the people loved him so much?" and they will think and answer based on how they perceived the passage.

We also weave into our devotions a reading from Pilgrim's Progress one day, and the next a reading (to my daughter's) from How to be a lady by Harvey Newcomb (when my son is ready, we will begin to incorporate a missionary reading such as YWAM's books on various missionaries.

Next, we spend a few minutes on Scripture Memorization- currently we are focusing on Two Way's To Live scripture verses so my children know scriptures to share the gospel. Simply Charlotte Mason has a great how-to on making a box to aid in family scripture memory.

Lastly, we listen to a hymn. One hymn a month. Right now, we are listening to Be Still, My Soul sung by Second Chapter of Acts on Grooveshark and I encourage my kids to close their eyes and think of Jesus being in the room and use that time to thank the Lord for the Cross and for Grace for the day.

And then our day officially begins!