May 22, 2024 – Narration, Dictation, and Living Books, Oh My!

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Helpful Stepping Stones

I didn’t know all these homeschool buzz words in the beginning of my homeschool journey in the early ‘90s. When my kids were young learners and started disliking our daily workbooks, I just knew I needed a different way of teaching. At the time, everyone was talking about The Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola. I found a copy at a conference and began reading it and my homeschool philosophy and our educational journey began to change for the better!

Narration
You read aloud to the child, or they read independently, but then you have a time where they orally narrate back what they have read in their own words. Discussion and analysis can transpire at this time through simple conversation. This will also help us understand their level of comprehension. If they are old enough, they can begin to write this narration in their own words in a copy notebook.

Dictation
You read a piece of good literature, and they write it in their notebooks. They learn attention to detail and listening skills. This makes connections between what they hear and what they write, especially helping auditory learners discern and comprehend. Start with very short, simple sentences, and gradually move to paragraphs of great literature. Questions about grammar and vocabulary can be answered in this process as they learn what constitutes good writing.

Living Books
Providing abundant reading material, whether read-alouds or independent reading, is a foundation for home education. A living book is a book that tells a story rather than a book of facts. It is someone’s personal experience or expertise well told and full of life. Charlotte Mason basically described them as “inspiring tales, well told.” (Charlotte Mason, Parents and Children, p. 263).

These ideas are not things you “must” do, they are things that may help you in your learning journey. Enjoy this time of learning right along with your children. It is a window into the past and a stepping stone into the future. And you “get to” be there for all of it.

 ~Deborah
dwuehler@theoldschoolhouse.com

Thoughtful poems + whimsical illustrations + Bible verses = fun family devotional times and meaningful Christ-centered conversations! Order online wherever Christian books are sold.

Todd Wilson

Familyman Ministries

Nix all the “Shuns” Except for the Vacation!

Hey Mom,

I’m sorry I don’t like most “shuns” . . . that is, narration, dictation, dissection, and dissertations. They just sound too “schooly.” I grew up in the public school system doing all the “shuns” and it felt pointless. I would study for them and do them. They would be graded and I would receive my ‘A’ for doing them correctly . . . but it didn’t mean anything to me. So . . . I’ll leave all those “shuns” to the other panel experts and talk about the one “shun” I can get into . . . VACATION!!!

We’re coming up to the end of the year which is the perfect time for a vacation. Now I know some who pride themselves in never taking a vacation . . . but to me, that’s just plain criminal. Everyone needs a vacation. You need a vacation, your spouse needs a vacation, and your children need a vacation.

It doesn’t have to be on a tropical island or in a foreign country, but it does need to be away (don’t get me started on staycations). I was just at a campground the other day and saw all the kids running around playing games, walking paths, and roasting marshmallows. That’s the stuff that matters. Those are the memories that stay with them when they grow old and you’re gone. Those are the memories you’ll cherish when you’re in the nursing home eating red Jello. Those are the “shuns” that are way more important than the dictations and narrations.

So, if you have to skip some “shuns” skip those, NOT the vacation. Here’s your assignment: If you have a vacation planned for the upcoming months, talk about it with your kids. Get those vacation glands salivating. If you don’t have plans, talk with your spouse and make some.

Be real,
Todd

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About the author

Todd Wilson is a husband, dad, grandpa, writer, homeschool conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down to earth realness have made him a favorite speaker all across the country and a guest on Focus on the Family. As founder of The Familyman and The Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind moms and dads of what’s most important through weekly emails, podcasts, seminars, and books that encourage parents. Todd, and his wife Debbie, homeschool four of their eight children (the other four are homeschool graduates) in northern Indiana and travel America in the Familyman Mobile. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.

Heather Vogler

What Is Education?

Even after homeschooling for years, I find myself redefining education over and over again, and as the years move on, the traditional methods are slowly being removed from my mind. The traditional schoolroom model allows for education to happen—but is it actually education as a whole? Absolutely not. Even if you whisked yourself back to a one-room schoolhouse in the late 1800s and had a conversation during recess with a handful of the children, you would quickly learn that the “school day” was only part of it. Much of their education happened when cooking with Mama or planting the crops with Papa. 

When it hits us that education can happen throughout the day and not just during school hours, we become amazed by what our children are actually learning—which is not necessarily measured by tests or quizzes. 

Charlotte Mason’s philosophy was that “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.” What an exciting opportunity for us as home educators to be able to incorporate that into our daily lives! If we see that our child has yet to fully grasp what happened during the Revolutionary War, this is an excellent chance to present it to him in a way that will stick with them forever. Rather than pulling out a textbook filled with facts, names, and dates, hone in on key figures during that time period. Find historical fiction books that relate and are age-appropriate. These types of books bring the historical figures to life and are extremely memorable. Throw away the idea that a book report needs to be written for every book that passes through your child’s hands so it “counts as school,” and simply allow your child to repeat the main concepts of what they read. Try this after every chapter and when the book is complete. Dig up some famous quotes from the people your child studies and have him work on his handwriting skills. For this particular time period, I have my kids stain their copywork paper with coffee. I then burn the edges to make the paper appear aged. We hang the quotes up on the wall, and this is just as effective as the traditional methods of education—if not more.  

About the author

Heather, her husband, and five kids homeschool and homestead in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. In addition to writing on her blog, Thrift Schooling (ThriftSchooling.com), Heather has been published in several magazines including Focus on the Family, War Cry, and Brio. Heather holds a BA in Christian ministries and currently works in the marketing department of The Old Schoolhouse®.

Pillar of Future

Adam and Dianne Riveiro

Reading: It’s So Much More!

Reading is a habit that is encouraged from a very young age in our home. But have you ever considered that reading can be about so much more than simply developing an imagination or learning a list of facts? Reading can also be used to develop a confident public speaker and a fluent writer. 

This can be achieved by including time for narration and dictation into your reading syllabus. Neither are as complicated as they may sound. Narration is a student retelling what they’ve read or heard in their own words. This allows for two things: an assessment of how well your student has comprehended what they’ve read, as well as an opportunity for them to practice forming cohesive thoughts without much prep time. This is certainly a gateway to developing a strong public speaker. 

To increase fluency in writing, have your student read a passage until they are familiar with it, and then have them write the passage while you dictate it one sentence at a time. This gives the parent and student a wonderful opportunity to work on grammar, punctuation, and spelling during their reading time. 

(Of course, this process is enriched when done alongside pieces of classic literature. Don’t limit yourself to textbooks and twaddle!)

-Dianne

About the author

Pastor Adam and Dianne Riveiro live in Easton, Massachusetts, where Adam leads Liberty Baptist Church. They’re the authors of several books, including Hope from Our Heart to Yours: A 30-Day Devotional Journey for Special Needs Families, available from their family’s publishing label at www.readyscribepublications.com. They have four children: Bethany, Kaylee, AJ, and Peyton. They’re passionate about helping their fellow special needs families find joy and contentment in Christ.

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