The Power and Simplicity of Narration

When I was teaching high school I used to marvel at many of my otherwise intelligent students inability tell me what they had read in their assigned books or articles from the previous night.  Most were simply incapable of putting it into words.  The majority would howl in protest at my suggestion that they hadn't read the selection.  I'm convinced that most of them had read the words, but they lacked the skill of narration.

Now that I have been involved with homeschooling for a few years and using Charlotte Mason's practice of narration, I am starting to see how brilliant this simple technique can be.  Basically, students read and then re-tell what they have read.  Pretty simple, though there are some do's and don'ts, especially for the parent/teacher.  After the narration, further discussion can take place, especially to note what was noble or good in the reading.  But basically it is a simple re-telling.  What does that accomplish?  Here are a few things:

1. Attention - The reader/listener must be fully engaged to be able to re-tell.  He must pay attention.  This is one of the most important starting points of any kind of discipline and learning.  Narrating many readings over a number of years will develop the faculty of paying attention as well as the other faculties below.
2. Memory - The reader/listener must remember.  
3. Organization - It is remarkable to see the high level of organization required to retell a story after hearing it one time.  Names, places, the story sequence, the important events must all be organized in the mind rapidly prior to speaking or writing.
4. Communication - Narration forms the basis of speaking and writing well.   

Though simple, narration isn't easy, but the benefits are manifold.  Compare this method to the more typical study guide approach - usually a selection is read and then several questions are to be answered about the reading.  What typically happens?  Attention is not strictly necessary, as students can look back at the work to "find the answer", assuming of course that they have even read the text in the first place.  I find it more common for students to read the study guide first and then go on a quest for the answers.  The faculty of memory isn't required.  Further , the mind is typically not required to organize the material.  Finally, the skills of speaking and writing are not developed.

For more detail on the practice of narration see:

• The Charlotte Mason Educational Review, Winter 2007-2008 Vol 2 Issue2  (there is a great primer on narration beginning on page 14)
• Charlotte Mason Answers Your Questions about Narration.
• Advice on Narration from various moms at Ambleside Online.