Since I was six years old, so I guess that would be about ten years.
What are your fondest narration memories?
I liked creative narrations, especially role playing and debating Plutarch. I also liked it when I got to make really hard narration questions and see if I could trip up my mother. I liked it when my mom pulled out the red and blue beads and put them behind her back-the anticipation of finding out who would narrate. I liked setting up my playmobil people and narrating the story. During my middle school years I particularly liked making creative narrations by writing letters and newspaper articles and obituaries and so on. Sometimes I spent too much time on them because they were so much fun but now that I am older, I really desire to just know the subject matter well, so I prefer to type out straight narratives. They seem to be the best way for me to remember what I have read.
Do you prefer narrating from your school books or answering comprehension questions?
I definitely prefer to narrate. I may not know the specific answer that whoever posed the question is looking for but I often know so much about the subject that I don't feel it is very fair to ask such narrow questions without finding out what I really know. Plus, filling in the blanks doesn't make me exert myself. It doesn't teach writing skills or give real knowledge but narration does all of this in a short period of time. So actually it condenses the time I have to spend on those skills. And narration leaves room for creativity. I get to decide how I want to frame it, if I want to sound like the author, be flowry or just get to the point. I get to choose my own words to express what I've learned. I like that better than answering a narrow question that only has one answer. In the past, I've read a few books that required I fill in the blanks to specific questions at the end of the reading but I don't remember much about them now. The books that have made the most impact in my life are those that I wrote about or talked about with others.
Do you like to narrate now?
Sometimes I'm in the mood to narrate and sometimes I'm not but I've learned that if I can't frame it in my own words, I honestly don't know the material, so I exert myself. I didn't always have this discipline and my mother used to insist that I narrate whether I felt like it or not. At times, I would balk and say, "I already know this. I'll remember it." Now that I'm older I can look back and see that the books that I didn't narrate from are the books I don't remember as well. This bothers me and it also motivates me to narrate, especially from the books that I really want to remember. So I guess what I'm trying to say is even though I don't always like to narrate, I am motivated to do it.
Did you enjoy narration when you were younger?
Yes and No. I liked to narrate creatively from the narration jar and I didn't mind oral narration, but when I first began to write my narrations down on paper, I really didn't like it. I did it because I was supposed to, but I remember writing really large so that I would fill up the page sooner. It gradually became easier for me. But as I've said before, now that I am older I am sooo glad I learned to narrate because the benefits are wonderful. My kids will narrate. Ha ha.
Thanks for taking the time to share with us your narration thoughts.
You are welcome.
one step at a time...
