Narration Problems: Narrating is Too Hard

Question:

My child can't seem to narrate! If I ask specific questions about the lesson, he can answer correctly. But when I ask him to retell the lesson, he can't do it. What is wrong?

Answer:

First of all, don't give up. Just because he is not skilled at narrating now doesn't mean that he can never learn the skill. He can learn to narrate through practice and your instruction.

Narrating is Simple but Not Easy

It's important to keep in mind that narration is simple --just retell what you read or heard. But narration is far from easy. Some people will say that narration is a natural skill that all children have. Don't all children naturally tell stories of what happened to them? The problem is that not all children can tell those stories skillfully. And tellling about your own experiences is vastly different from telling about a living book or reading assignment.

No, narration is quite complex and vastly different from the comprehension questions of traditional schooling.

Narrating versus Comprehension Questions

Textbooks typically have questions at the end of each chapter. Those are the types of questions that I mean when I say "comprehension questions." Many guides to novels and literature also have these lists of factual questions about the events of the story. Worksheets and workbooks are also along the same lines.

Usually these comprehension questions and worksheets are written at a lower level of cognitive (thinking) function than narration requires.

For example, take a history chapter on Alexander that Great. (As I'm writing this page, I'm thinking to the history lesson my sixth grader had today.) I read my daughter a narrative account of the great conqueror from a living book. Then I asked her to retell the information. To do so, she had to remember the order of the events, put in the details that are important, and leave out the secondary details (if she so chooses). 

Contrast that with my asking her conprehension questions about the reading:

• Who was Alexander the Great's father?
• What was Alexander the Great's horse called?
• What was different about the horse?
• What happened on the day Alexander was born?
• What kept Alexander from entering India?
• What finally killed Alexander?

To answer those questions, my daughter would have to think about only the factual information pertinent to the question. Many of the answers are only one or two words! 

Narration is far more challenging than most comprehension questions.

Benjamin Bloom created a taxonomy of thinking in the 1950s which was updated in the 1950s. It has been used by educators for over fifty years and explains the difference between narration and comprehension questions well. Most of the questions you see in a typical textbook or worksheet are at the lower levels of remembering and explaining.

Bloom's taxonomy is below. Study the chart, watch the video, and print out some references.

To narrate well, you must remember, understand, apply, and analyze (the bottom four thinking levels). A narration can go beyond the text and move on to evaluating. If the narration is written, then the highest level is used -- creating.

It is a far more complex task than merely answering questions on a workshet or at the end of a chapter.

So if your child is new to narration and finds it difficult, do not be discouraged.

Narration is quite challenging. But with help and practice, he can improve.

Break Down the Reading

Start with shorter sections to narrate. Read a single paragraph and ask your child to narrate that. Then slowly graduate to narrating passages of multiple paragraphs. Finally move up to longer selections and entire chapters. This transition can take months to make. Don't rush it.

Use Narration Prompts

You can make narration feel more like familiar worksheets and comprehension questions by using narration prompts. Encourage your child to go beyond short answers and elaborate with all he knows about the topic. The prompt is just to get him started.

Use Tricks

Note taking can help with narrations. Consider graphic organizers, sketching, outlining. Whether listening or reading silently, encourage your child to make notes about what he hears. Then he can reference those notes as he gives the narration.

Practice Makes Perfect

Like anything, repeated practice improves performance. Be sure to give your child opportunities to narrate every day. Praise his efforts and progress. Be gentle with criticism as you encourage him to continue to improve.