First written narrations in Preparing- can I share?

[sharonb]

We are nearing the end of our first unit of Preparing, and I'd like to share one more thing. They had their first written narrations today, and I wanted to share those. I told them to each come up with 3 sentences that summarize the reading and contain the main points we discussed. Because I have 2 dc in Preparing, I didn't want them to hear each other's, so I asked dd to write hers on a whiteboard, and ds and I went into the other room so he could dictate his to me.

I'll start with dd, the 4th grader. She came up with 3 very detailed sentences, but failed to cover all the main points. So, after some discussion, she added the last sentence comparing the ark and Jesus. She still didn't include anything about God's promise though. I think this particular narration was a little difficult for them to summarize because their heads are already so full of Noah's ark knowledge that it was hard to just stick with what our particular reading today talked about.

God told Noah to build an ark and take two of every kind of animal. Noah and his family helped build the ark and get food for the animals. They went in with the animals and God shut the door. The ark is like Jesus because the ark saved Noah's family and Jesus saved us.

Next is ds, the 3rd grader. I did help him some by reminding him of the main points he was supposed to be summarizing. He does not like to write as much as dd, so he kept his sentences more to the point.

God told Noah to make the ark so that Noah and his family could live. The ark is like Jesus because Jesus saved us from our sins and the ark saved Noah's family. God promised to crush Satan someday.

Anyway, how do these look? I'm pretty pleased considering this is new for them, and I'm looking forward to seeing them grow in this area.

[MomtoJGJE]

Just subbing for responses. We will be starting Preparing in January, and I can see my dd giving very similar sentences to your dd. Except likely my dd will not give actual sentences.

[my3sons]

I think they look good! A great way to check for accuracy is to read through the guiding questions provided in the box and see if they answered them. This will naturally help them focus on the important points and give them a compass for writing solid written narrations. The guidance in PHFHG's Reading about History box for establishing a good foundation for writing written narrations has been so helpful to both of our sons. I like how it begins with being very guided, and then moves toward being more general. In this way, it helps dc learn to focus on the big ideas, and then move to incorporating their own personality or style into their narrations. So, going through the guided mini-lessons for written narrations that are included in the Reading about History box narrows the focus to ensure success, and then reading the questions to check for accuracy at the conclusion of the written narration acts as a "check" for the written narration. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie