Oliver Twist....

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens was our January Middle School Socratic Book Club read.  Last year we studied A Christmas Carol so this was my second Dickens' novel. Riley, Ruben and I actually started Oliver Twist last January 2016, but got about half way and failed to finish.  So this year, I purposely chose it for our book club knowing it would force us to push on.  We each started back at the beginning and this time were able to complete the book.

Oliver Twist was orphaned at birth when his mother died shortly after delivery. Chapter One starts out very grim and the book doesn't get a whole lot brighter until the very end.  Dickens' tale is dark and deep, yet gratifying when good overcomes evil. Several times throughout, I asked myself why I picked such a depressing book. It felt like heavy sledding. I believe this was Dickens intention, to show the dark side of London and its workhouses in the Victorian Era.

After reading each chapter, I wrote a short one paragraph narration...yes, after all 53 chapters!...to aid my memory and recollection as there are numerous characters in Oliver Twist.  Actually, I also pulled from this list and created a three page typed reference sheet so I could initially keep everyone straight. In the end, Dickens masterfully weaves them all together. I can't think of anyone who was left hanging and this novel writing detail is satisfying to me. I like closure in my reading.

This month in our club, we talked about foreshadowing since Dickens gives numerous examples in Oliver Twist. The three examples I cited in class, which I will withhold here due to being a spoiler, all point to finding out Oliver's family history.

Overall, I loved Oliver Twist and am contemplating which will be my next Dickens' novel. Initially, it seemed impossible to find commonplace entries and then I found three beautiful passages toward the end. Below is an example of RileyAnn's commonplace entry and also Ruben's narration...

'I am chained to my old life. I loathe and hate it now, but I cannot leave it. I must have gone too far to turn back, - and yet I don't know, for if you had spoken to me so, sometime again, I should have laughed it off. But,' she said, looking hastily round, 'this fear comes over me again. I must go home.'

'Home!' repeated the young lady, with great stress upon the word.

'Home, lady,' rejoined the girl. 'To such a home as I have raised for myself with the work of my whole life. Let us part. I shall be watched or seen. Go, go. If I have done you any service, all I ask is, that you leave me and let me go my way alone.' Oliver Twist Ch 46

Oliver Twist narrated by Ruben

Oliver Twist was an orphan who, when he was 9-years old, got sent to the workhouse. He was apprenticed to the Sowerberry's, but he did not like it there so he ran away to London. There he met up with Fagin and his team of robbers, but he did not like robbing people. One day when he was out robbing, he got caught and went to court.  He was then taken in by Mr. Brownlow.  He liked it there, but one day he was out running an errand and he got captured again by Fagin and his men. Then he was forced to rob one night and Oliver got shot in the robbery. He then was left in a ditch to die.  He crawled back to the house he had attempted to rob. The people took pity on him and took care of him until he got older. He then met back up with Mr. Brownlow. He was adopted by Mr. Brownlow.  He lived happily ever after with Mr. Brownlow. The end. 

The Singing Tree...

The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy happened to be the third title we've read by this author.  Many years ago we read The Chestry Oak and for Christmas 2014 we read A Tree for Peter.  Early on RileyAnn mentioned the fact that all three Seredy books we've read had something to do with a tree.  I found this to be an interesting connection, however, I'm not sure whether or not there was purpose to Seredy's titling.

Anyhow, The Singing Tree takes place on the Hungarian plains during WWI.  It not only covers the war, but is also a coming of age story for Jancsi and his cousin Kate.  When their fathers are sent off to war, the children learn what it is to grow up.  They not only have the responsibility of a farm, but also neighbors and family around them.  When it's been decided they will house six Russian prisoners of war and six semi-orphaned German children, they learn valuable lessons about peaceable relations with the so-called enemy.

As with other Seredy books we've read, there are a variety of themes and story threads woven throughout.  From our experience, I can't imagine that you'd be disappointed.  Seredy is a fabulous story teller and her illustrations are like no other.  In fact, she considered herself an illustrator and not an author, stating something to the effect that her stories simply gave her an excuse to draw pictures.  Ironically, Seredy was born in Budapest, Hungary.  Although most of her books were written in English, it was not her native tongue.

As part of the Beautiful Feet Modern American and World History study, while reading The Singing Tree, the kids were assigned a character sketch.  The following is the work of Ruben...

Ruben’s Character Sketch of Lily

February 1, 2016

Lily was very mean.  Her father was Judge Kormos.  He sent Lily to boarding school because her mother was sick.  Lily returned and one day they went to a wedding.  The Nagy’s were there and Lily didn’t get along with Kate Nagy.  Lily didn’t want to dance with Peter and she called him a bad name.  Kate stepped on Lily’s toe, which started a fight.  Lily fell into a hay pile in Varadi’s barn and Kate locked her in. 

Eventually Lily’s disappearance was discovered.  Judge Kormos admitted his struggle rearing Lily and Marton Nagy asked if Lily could spend the summer on this farm.  Judge Kormos thought it was a good idea.

Lily went to live at the Nagy farm.   At first, she didn’t like it, but after a while she didn’t want to leave.  Lily liked the animals and people.  By the end of the story, Lily matured into a young lady.  She was kinder and more helpful.  

Narration is Natural...

Principles 14 & 15

As knowledge is not assimilated until it is reproduced, children should 'tell back' after a single reading or hearing: or should write on some part of what they have read.  

A single reading is insisted on, because children have naturally great power of attention; but this force is dissipated by the re-reading of passages, and also, by questioning, summarizing, and the like.  

Acting upon these and some other points in the behaviour of mind, we find that the educability of children is enormously greater than has hitherto been supposed, and is but little dependent on such circumstances as heredity and environment.  

Nor is the accuracy of this statement limited to clever children or to children of the educated classes: thousands of children in Elementary Schools respond freely to this method, which is based on the behaviour of mind.  

I believe narration is natural, as did Charlotte Mason.  Just today, Levi came to The Farmer and I telling us all about a show he'd finished watching.  At age 3 1/2 he could easily put his thoughts into words, sequencing events, and enthusiastically sharing what he had learned.  Charlotte tells us...

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.....This amazing gift with which normal children are born is allowed to lie fallow in their education. (Home Education Vol. 1, pg. 231)

I've written more extensively about The Art of Narration in the past so I will suffice to add a few quotes and comments here, simply to highlight the basics.  There are some things to keep in mind to encourage a great start with narration....

Until he is six, let Bobbie narrate only when and what he has a mind to.  He must not be called upon to tell anything. (Home Education Vol. 1, pg. 231)

The points to be borne in mind are, that he should have no book which is not a child's classic; and that, given the right book, it must not be diluted with talk or broken up with questions, but given to the boy in fit portions as wholesome meat for his mind, in the full trust that a child's mind is able to deal with its proper food.   (Home Education Vol. 1, pg. 232)

Charlotte does elaborate on advancing narration to composition only after the child has mastered oral narration.

If we would believe it, composition is as natural as jumping and running to children who have been allowed due use of books.  They should narrate in the first place and they will compose, later, readily enough; but they should not be taught 'composition'.  (Home Education Vol. 1, pg. 247)

In addition, Charlotte mentions the importance of narration as an aid to public speaking...

To secure the power of speaking, I think it would be well if the habit of narration were more encouraged, in place of written composition.  On the whole, it is more useful to be able to speak than to write, and the man or woman who is able to do the former can generally do the latter. (School Education, Vol. 3, pg. 88) 

Now that we are nearly through Charlotte's 20 Principles, I'm seeing that narration is a super important part of her philosophy.   At this point, if someone asked me to narrow Charlotte's philosophy to three main ideas, I would say children are born persons; living books provide pabulum for the mind, and narration is a natural means to better speaking and writing.

BF Modern American & World History Term One Review....

After finishing our first term of the 2015-2016 school year, I thought I'd give an update on the Beautiful Feet Modern American and World History study we're using.   Part way through the term, I gave an introduction/overview of the program.  Since, we finished up the term on lesson twenty-seven.  I originally scheduled history three days per week, hoping to finish the term with lesson thirty-six.  However, the assigned readings are very long so I had to split some of the lessons over two days.  At this point, it looks as though the study may take more than one school year to complete unless we add history a fourth day per week.

So far, the books have been wonderful!  We've read five books in their entirety, including: Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt, The Perilous Road by William O. Steele, a Frederick Douglass substitution, Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson, and Theodore Roosevelt by Genevieve Foster.  We've also read assigned chapters of A Child's First Book of American History by Earl Schenck Miers.

As noted, I did substitute one book.  The BF study uses Narrative in the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass.  However, after reading aloud the Preface and a Letter, I could see the kids were not ready for it.  After a bit of research, I opted to substitute Frederick Douglass Fights for Freedom by Margaret Davidson.  I think Douglass' original Narrative... is fabulous, but I felt it was more suited for upper middle school or high school.  The kids will definitely be reading it at some point down the road.  For now, Davidson's book was a good fit!

Here is a narration Riley wrote after we read Frederick Douglass Fights for Freedom...

Frederick Bailey was born in February 1818, no one knows the exact date, he was a slave.  Frederick wanted to be free.  He decided to run away to the north.  Frederick disguised himself as a sailor and got aboard a train.  He rode the train to New York.  He found a safe house there.  While in New York, Frederick got married.  He and his new wife moved to Massachusetts.  Frederick changed his last name to Douglass to be safe from slave catchers.  He was an abolitionist.  He fought for freedom for the millions of slaves that were not free yet.  He and his wife Anna, and their five children, ran a safe house on the Underground Railroad.  Frederick gave many speeches against slave owners and even talked to President Lincoln.  He died February 20, 1895.  He was seventy-seven years old.  

The kids are not loving A Child's First Book of American History.  However, I think it does a great job of filling in the gaps.  It's sort of a spine book and Daugherty's illustration are a treat.  Across Five Aprils is still my favorite with Foster's Theodore Roosevelt falling second.  We learned a great deal about Roosevelt from this Initial Biography.  I highly recommend it and am thrilled to see Beautiful Feet bring it back in print!

Overall, the study is going well.  History is still the kids favorite subject.  Below are a few more samples of their notebook pages....

Today, we are back from break, starting term two with The Wright Brothers, Pioneers of American Aviation by Quentin Reynolds.  I haven't done much reading on the Wright brothers and am looking forward to learning more about them :)

The Perilous Road...

The Perilous Road by William O. Steele is the story of young Chris Brabson, a boy living in Tennessee at the time of the Civil War.  Chris hates the Yankees and can't understand why his brother Jethro decides to fight on the Union side.  Eventually, Chris spies for the Confederates only to later find out Jethro is a part of the wagon train that's going to be ambushed.  The story takes a major turn when Chris tries to find Jethro and warn him of the upcoming raid, hoping to save his life. Chris gets caught in a horrific battle and soon realizes that nothing is clear cut in war.

Steele's coming of age story was a hit here on the home front.   Ruben was begging for more.  The Perilous Road was the second book we read for our Beautiful Feet Modern American and World History study, following Across Five Aprils.   It is also on the Sonlight and TruthQuest History list.

Below is Ruben's essay on how Chris's attitude changed toward the Yankees over the course of the story...

The Perilous Road

By Ruben

October 5, 2015

    Chris hated the Yankees because he thought they were arrogant and snotty.  The Yankees took Chris’ buckskin shirt and stole the food that he worked hard for.  His brother Jethro joined up with the Yankees and Chris didn’t like that. 

     Chris told his friend, Silas, to get the Rebs.  The Feds were camped in the valley. Chris was feeling bad that his brother may get killed in the valley because he was a wagoneer.  He didn’t know his brother was still in training for a few months.  So, he was going to go to the valley where the Feds were camped to find Jethro and tell him that the Rebs were coming so that he could escape. 

     When Chris went to the Fed’s camp, he met some guys that were talking around the campfire and singing.  One of them bought him some gingersnaps.  One of them gave him an apple.  Chris fell asleep and one of the wagoneers laid him in his wagon. 

     Then the Rebs came and the wagoneer tried to escape, but the wagon he was in tipped over because he was going too fast across a rutted and bumpy field.  Chris escaped into the woods.  He tripped over the leg of the soldier that had bought him the gingersnaps.  The soldier was now dead, lying in the weeds.  He found the soldier that gave him the apple with a wound in his chest.  Chris asked him if he needed anything and he said he wanted water.  Chris found an empty coffee pot and he went to a spring and filled it with water.  He took it to the soldier. 

     Through it all, Chris realized that a lot of the Yankees were just like him.  They liked to hunt and farm.  They had families. 

     Chris eventually got back to his cabin.  His dad and Silas had been looking for him.  Chris told his father everything he had done.  Chris was relieved to hear that his brother was safe and the battle had nothing to do with him.  Chris no longer hated the Yankees.  

Slavery and the Underground Railroad....

Go Free or Die, A Story about Harriet Tubman and Walking the Road to Freedom, A Story about Sojourner Truth, both by Jeri Ferris, are great books!  These Creative Minds biographies are not only easy to read, but factual and appealing.   Since they are not twaddle, they could be used for a short overview of the person's life or for beginning readers.  Both books are recommended in TruthQuest American History for Young Students II and Beautiful Feet Early American History Intermediate pack.

RileyAnn's written narration after reading Go Free or Die follows...

Harriet Tubman was born in 1820 in Maryland on a plantation.  She was a slave.  Harriet wanted to be free. She said she would go free or die.  But she had to wait many years before her chance came.  Harriet traveled on the Underground Railroad.  She got help from many kind people along the way.  When Harriet finally got to Philadelphia, she was free!  But she was not satisfied.  Over the next few years, Harriet made 19 trips back to the south and led over three hundred slaves to freedom, she never lost one.  Harriet Tubman died a free woman in 1913 at the age of 93. 

The Aesop for Children...

I'm reading The Aesop for Children this year to Ruben.  We are focusing on narration.  I read one page three days per week.  He narrates after each fable.  So if there's three fables on a page, he narrates three times.  This is working well.  The fables are short so they keep his attention.  He enjoys the stories.  His ability to narrate is improving.  Often times he's able to capture the moral in his narration.  I give him this opportunity before I read the moral at the end. The Aesop for Children is a great book for beginning narrators and Milo Winter's illustrations give an added level of beauty.

Amistad Mutiny...

Both TruthQuest and Beautiful Feet suggest reading a book about the Amistad mutiny in 1839.  La Amistad was a Spanish Schooner carrying African slaves (Mende) abducted from Sierra Leone.  They were to be sold in Cuba, a practice that was illegal at that time.

During the voyage, the slaves rose up and killed most of the crew.  They let the ship's owners live in hopes of returning home.  The slaves ordered the ship turn toward Africa, but the Spaniards tricked them sailing up the Atlantic coast.

After weeks of sailing, the Amistad was escorted by an American ship into the harbor of New London, Connecticut.  Forced ashore from hunger, weariness, and disorientation, the Mende found themselves in a battle for freedom.  They were imprisoned and bound to stand trial.  On January 13, 1840, a judge set them free.

Unfortunately, President Van Buren, became concerned that setting the Mende slaves free would enrage southern slave holders.  As a result, he ordered an appeal so the case must be tried in the U.S. Supreme Court.  Having heard about the mutineers, former President John Quincy Adams came out of retirement to defend the Mende's case.  On March 9, 1841, a week after Adams made his closing arguments, the Supreme Court announced that the Mende slaves were in fact free. It took eight months for abolitionists to raise money to send the Mende back to West Africa. 

Amistad, The Slave Uprising Aboard the Spanish Schooner by Helen Kromer is recommended by Beautiful Feet.  However, it proved to be a little advanced for Ruben, so we opted to read Amistad Rising, A Story of Freedom by Veronica Chambers.  The later is a beautiful picture book recommended in the TruthQuest History guide.

The following is Ruben's narration after reading Amistad Rising...

Amistad

By Ruben

January 2015

Amistad was a Spanish slave ship.  The slaves took over the ship and ordered the captain to turn back to Africa, but in the night the captain turned back toward America and they got further and further away from Africa.  They finally landed in New England.  The slaves demanded their freedom, but had to go to court.  John Quincy Adams took sides with the slaves.  The slaves won their case and went back to Africa.  They could never be taken as slaves again. 

Riley's Reviews...and Sample Narration - Justin Morgan Had a Horse...

Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry tells the story of a horse named Little Bub, the father of the American Morgan horse breed.  He's owned by a schoolmaster and singing teacher named Justin Morgan.  Little Bub later inherits his owner's name. Justin Morgan Had a Horse is a true story.  RileyAnn read Justin Morgan Had a Horse through the Beautiful Feet History of the Horse guide.  The following is her narration...

Justin Morgan was a traveling teacher in the Green Mountains of Vermont.  Farmer Beane owed a debt to Justin Morgan.  When Justin Morgan went to collect his debt, Farmer Beane didn't have the money so he gave Morgan his two colts, Ebeneezer and Little Bub.  One of Morgan's pupils, Joel Goss, went along with Morgan to collect the debt because the school master lived with Joel's family.

When they got back to Joel's house, Joel's father didn't want to board Justin Morgan nor his horses anymore.  Morgan moved out, but before he did, he asked Joel to break Little Bub because he needed to sell him to get money.  Joel reluctantly agreed. One day while Justin Morgan was teaching, a man came to school and wanted to rent Little Bub for one year to clear his land.

Meanwhile, Joel's father apprenticed him for seven years to Mr. Chase, a miller and inn keeper.  While men were waiting at the mill for their lumber to be sawed, they often had pulling matches.  Men bet on their favorite horses or oxen and whoever won got money.  One day when Joel was working at the mill, Little Bub's renter, Mr. Evans, came in with Little Bub to have logs sawed.  When he arrived, the men were having a pulling match.  None of the big work horses or oxen could pull the stout log.  Evans stated that Little Bub could pull the log.  All the men thought it was a joke, but Little Bub proved them wrong when he not only pulled the log, but with three men on it. 

After the match, Little Bub's fame spread all over Vermont. When the year's rent was up, Justin Morgan got Little Bub back and he used him on his singing circuit traveling from town to town giving children singing lessons.  He continued to compete in pulling matches and won many races, eventually going on to beat two of the finest Thoroughbred horses.  Folks paid a lot of money for Little Bub to sire their foals. 

After Justin Morgan died and Joel's apprenticeship was done, Joel tried to find Little Bub, who's new name was changed to Justin Morgan after his previous owner.  When Joel tried to buy Little Bub at an auction, he failed and felt quite miserable.  Shortly after, the War of 1812 broke out and Joel enlisted to help the wounded horses, unsuccessfully hoping to find Little Bub in one of the battles. 

One cold night after the war, when Joel was a grown man, he and his friend, were on their way to a meeting house to discuss a new library.  Joel heard something in the wind and he thought it was Little Bub's whinny.  He followed the sound to Mr. Chase's inn.  Joel found Little Bub in a team of six horses parked outside the inn.  Joel went inside to find Little Bub's owner because he wanted to buy him.   Joel borrowed money from Mr. Chase and purchased Justin Morgan, formerly known as Little Bub. 

During a parade for James Monroe's inauguration as president, Monroe's horse got a bumble bee in his ear and started to buck.  James Monroe quickly dismounted his horse and needed to find a new one to ride.  Joel and Justin Morgan lined up with other horses and their riders to see which horse the new president would select.  James Monroe picked Justin Morgan.  At the end of the story, Joel Goss declares that Justin Morgan is an true American.  

For additional information on the BF Horse study, you can check out a BF History of the Horse Lipizzaner post here. Justin Morgan Had a Horse is also a Sonlight recommendation.

Beautiful Feet History of the Horse - The Lipizzaner

 

RileyAnn is completing Beautiful Feet History of the Horse this year for literature.  This wonderful study covers science and history as well, but I've assigned it primarily for the literature piece.  It uses the Marguerite Henry horse books in addition to other great literature like The Black Stallion and Black Beauty.  She is really enjoying the study.  Here is one of her drawings and a report she wrote after reading White Stallion of Lipizza by Marguerite Henry and furthering her research on the Lipizzaner stallions...

The Lipizzaner

by RileyAnn

January 2015

Lipizzaners are wonderful horses.  They are named for the place where they were first bred, Lipizza, Hungary.  Lipizzaners are greatly known for their performances with Vienna's Spanish Riding School.  The Riding School's horses are raised in Piber, Austria.  

Lipizzaner foals are actually born black.  They whiten with age.  Usually only white stallions are trained for show, but occasionally a brown colt is born.  This is considered a good omen.  If this happens then this brown Lipizzaner may also be trained for show.  In show Lipizzaners usually do six traditional movements, the Passage, the Piaffe, the Levade, the Ballotade, the Capriole, and the Courbette.   Lipizzaners do all these moves naturally.

Long ago in Ancient Greece, there was a man named Xenophon.  He was a historian and general.  He also had great skill in training war horses in these movements.  He wrote many books on this topic.  Lipizzaners make great show horses, but they can also be used for the saddle or the harness. 

Term One Review - Including Book List 2014-2015

After having some minor panic attacks from feeling overwhelmed while planning last summer, I decided to cut back on the number of books we read per term.  Instead, I'm working hard on choosing the best of the best.  There really are many great books and a part of me still longs to read them all...ha!  However, I was starting to feel burn out and that's a bad feeling! 

Thankfully, our kids' favorite subject is still history and I want to continue to fuel that passion.  I believe Beautiful Feet, TruthQuest, Veritas Press, and Sonlight can take much of the credit for this.  Their book lists/suggestions haven't let us down.  I will continue to pick and choose from their recommendations.  Here were our 2014-2015 Term 1 read aloud picks... 

The Story of Eli Whitney by Jean Lee Latham
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin by Marguerite Henry
A Head Full of Notions by Andy Russell Bowen
The Year of the Horseless Carriage by Genevieve Foster
The Louisiana Purchase by Gail Sakurai (Cornerstones of Freedom)
Open the Door to Liberty by Anne Rockwell
Diary of an Early American Boy by Eric Sloane
The Lewis & Clark Expedition by Richard L. Neuberger
The Story of Sacajawea, Guide to Lewis and Clark by Della Rowland
The Lewis and Clark Expedition by Peter F. Copeland (Dover Coloring Book)
My Name is York by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk (wonderful picture book about William Clark's slave)
The War of 1812 by Rebecca Stefoff
Old Ironsides: Americans Build a Fighting Ship by David Weitzman
James Madison by Mike Venezia (Getting to Know the U.S. Presidents)
Abigail's Drum by John A. Minahan
Cornstalks and Cannonballs by Barbara Mitchell
The Star Spangled Banner by Peter Spier
By the Dawn's Early Light by Steven Kroll
Samuel F. B. Morse: Artist - Inventor by Jean Lee Latham
Pioneer Plowmaker: A Story About John Deere by David R. Collins
Mill by David Macaulay - (We started this, but will not finish it at this time.  The kids simply were not interested....and that's OK.  Every now and then this happens.  We usually make an honest attempt, but there are so many great books that I don't push through something they are not ready for.)


We are also doing our notebooks a little different this year.  Rather than printing pages of activities, copywork, and coloring pages, I've resorted to composition notebooks.  I do print an occasional page, but for the most part, Riley and Ruben create their own drawings.  Copywork is taken from our reading.  We like the way they're turning out....

 

After finishing our first twelve weeks of the 2014-2015 school year, we are taking a break this week to refresh, give thanks, and reevaluate our curriculum.  Stay tuned for a few changes I am making....

The Art of Narration...

"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 or disciplinary education.  A creative fiat calls it forth."   
- Charlotte Mason (Home Education, Part V, section IX, page 231)

Narrate is a verb meaning to give a spoken or written account of.  Narration is one method of a Charlotte Mason education.  It's taking what is heard, mixing it with mindful thoughts and experiences, then telling back or giving an account of, either spoken or written, in your own words.  Comprehension and understanding are a result of narration.  As the child narrates, they must compose their thoughts in order to convey them in an organized meaningful way.  One must understand something in order to tell it back in your own words.  In this way, narration is also preparation for public speaking and composition.   

Let's take a look today at Charlotte's writings on the method of narration....

The simplest way of dealing with a paragraph or a chapter is to require the child to narrate its contents after a single attentive reading, - one reading, however slow, should be made a condition....

- Charlotte Mason (Vol. 3, School Education, Chapter XVI, p. 179)

They must read the given pages and tell what they have read, they must perform, that is, 

what we may call the act of knowing.  

- Charlotte Mason (Vol. 6, A Philosophy of Education, Book I, Chapter VI, p. 99)

As knowledge is not assimilated until it is reproduced, children should "tell back" after a single reading or hearing: or should write on some parts of what they have read.  A single reading is insisted on, because children have naturally great power of attention; but this force is dissipated by the re-reading of passages, and also, by questioning, summarising, and the like.  

- Charlotte Mason, (Vol. 6, A Philosophy of Education, Book I, Chapter X Preface, p. 155) 

When the child is six, not earlier, let him narrate the fairytale 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....The seven-year-old boy will have begun to read for himself, but must get most of his intellectual nutriment, by ear, certainly, but read to him out of books.....The points to be borne in mind are, that he should have no book which is not a child's classic; and that, given the right book, it must not be diluted with talk or broken up with questions, but given to the boy in fit portions as wholesome meat for his mind, in the full trust that a child's mind is able to deal with its proper food.  

The child of eight or nine is able to tackle the more serious material of knowledge; but our business for the moment is with what children under nine can narrate.  

In every case the reading should be consectutive from a well-chosen book. Before the reading for the day begins, the teacher should talk a little (and get the children to talk) about the last lesson, with a few words about what is to be read, in order that the children many be animated by expectation; but she should beware of explanation, and, especially, of forestalling the narrative.  Then, she may read two or three pages, enough to include an episode; after that, let her call upon the children to narrate, - in turns, if there be several of them.  They not only narrate with spirit and accuracy, but succeed in catching the style of their author.  It is not wise to tease them with corrections; they may begin with an endless chain of 'ands,' but they soon leave this off, and their narrations become good enough in style and composition to be put in a 'print book'!

This sort of narration lesson should not occupy more than a quarter of an hour.  

The book should always be deeply interesting, and when the narration is over, there should be a little talk in which moral points are brought out, pictures shown to illustrate the lesson, or diagrams drawn on the blackboard.  As soon as children are able to read with ease and fluency, they read their own lesson, either aloud or silently, with a view to narration; but where it is necessary to make omissions, as in the Old Testament narratives and Plutarch's Lives for example, it is better that the teacher should always read the lesson which is to be narrated.  

- Charlotte Mason (Vol. 1, Home Education, Part V, Chapter IX, p. 232-233)

....it is important that only one reading should be allowed; efforts to memorise weaken the power of attention, the proper activity of the mind; if it is desirable to ask questions in order to emphasize certain points, these should be asked after and not before, or during, the act of narration.  

- Charlotte Mason (Vol. 6, Introduction, p. 17)

There is much to glean in these passages from Charlotte's writings regarding narration including:

- Children should narrate after a single reading.

- Children should not be required to narrate before age six.

- Children before age nine should have required narration books read aloud to them. 

- Children must be given living books that are interesting to them, on level for their intelligence, and written with beautiful literary expression.  No twaddle. 

- The Bible should also be read and narrated.  

- The readings should be consecutive, flowing through the book from beginning to end.  

- The parent/teacher should encourage the child to talk a little about the previous day's reading prior to reading, without explanation or giving away that day's reading.  

- The parent/teacher can use key words written for the child to see prior to the reading to trigger careful listening.

- The reading should allow for short lessons, 2-3 pages, enough to include an episode, and narration, with a total time not taking over 15 minutes.   

-  Do not interrupt a child's narration for corrections.  If you must ask questions or want to talk about a moral point, wait until after the narration is complete.  Do not ask direct questions related to content of passage.  However, you can invite the child to narrate a specific event it it's missed in the original narration.  

Some other thoughts on narration are...

- Beginning narrators should begin with a paragraph and work up to a chapter.  Aesop's Fables are a great place to begin oral narration. 

- After age ten and if a child has mastered oral narration, they may transition to written narration. 

- Even older children new to narration should begin with oral narration.  They should not be expected to move onto to written narration until they have mastered the art of narrating orally.    

Narration does require an act of knowing.  I recently tried it myself with Riley and it took some time to not only remember the passage, but to organize my thoughts in an orderly, intelligent manner.  If you have not tried narration, I encourage you to give it a shot and share your experience by leaving a comment below.  I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

For further reading on living books, see this post.   

Ode to Thomas Jefferson....

"This ball of liberty, I believe most piously, is now so well in motion that it will roll round the globe." 
                                                                                                                                                      - Thomas Jefferson, 1795

I was very fascinated by the life of Thomas Jefferson. Over two hundred years later, I can't help but wonder what he would think of liberty in America today.  Without a doubt, Jefferson's accomplishments helped to make America great, from building Monticello to serving as a member of the Continental Congress, authoring the Declaration of Independence, serving as Governor of Virginia, ambassador to France, U.S. Secretary of State, Vice President of the U.S., President of the U.S., purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France, and opening the University of Virginia.  Did you know Jefferson was also an inventor?  This soft spoken man had many talents.  He believed strongly in the power of eduction and freedom.  He fought for America's future on many fronts.  Jefferson also struggled with the idea of slavery, the loss of his wife and most of his children.  I found Thomas Jefferson to be quite an amazing man! 

While studying the life of Thomas Jefferson with elementary children, some books I recommend are:

Thomas Jefferson: A Picture Book Biography by James Cross Giblin - This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the story of Thomas Jefferson from his earliest memory at age three to his death.  The book shows Jefferson's character and highlights achievements throughout his life.  The end pages offer a timeline of Jefferson's life, quotes from his writings, and a two page tour of Monticello. 

The Story of the Declaration of Independence and The Story of Monticello both by Norman Richards - The Cornerstones of Freedom series give a great factual overview of events in an easy to read form.  I believe they were originally written for older students, but at around 30 pages with a smattering of images, the larger text is suitable as a read aloud for younger children.  I have found them to be historically accurate and the kids love them. 

Journey to Monticello by James Knight - We've read many of Knight's Adventures in Colonial America series this year.  In this series, you can explore the world as it once was, live in a colonial village, build a fort at Jamestown, and fight for independence during the Revolutionary War.  Featuring finely detailed illustrations and exciting stories in the life and times of Colonial America, these books bring history to life.  Other titles in the series are....

• Blue Feather's Vision: The Dawn of Colonial America
  
• Jamestown: New World Adventure
  
• Sailing to America: Colonists at Sea
  
• The Village: Life in Colonial Times
  
• The Farm: Life in Colonial Pennsylvania
  
• Boston Tea Party: Rebellion in the Colonies
  
• Salem Days: Life in a Colonial Seaport
  
• Journey to Monticello: Traveling in Colonial Times
  
• Seventh and Walnut: Life in Colonial Philadelphia
  
• The Winter at Valley Forge: Survival and Victory

The Hatmaker's Sign: A Story by Benjamin Franklin retold by Candace Flemming - This delightful Five in a Row picture book told in parable form is based on a true-life conversation between Ben Franklin and his friend Thomas Jefferson.  After drafting the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson's pride is hurt when members of the Continental Congress want to change his words and an argument ensues.  Franklin consoles  Jefferson with this tale of a hat maker who tries to create the perfect sign for his shop.  However, on his way to the sign maker's shop, everyone he encounters finds fault with his sign until he comes up with the perfect solution.  The Hatmaker's Sign is a wonderful story!