Difficult transition from oral to written narration?

[countrymom]

I am just curious if others have had difficulty transitioning from oral to written narration? I have a young 8 yr-old just starting Preparing at a slower pace. Now I will admit this is a child that narration did not come easy for. We spent our LHFHG year with mostly blank stares, which then progressed to shrugs and "I don't no." In Beyond we made progress and worked our way to short sentences that may or may not have gone together nicely. We flourished in Bigger and in the last half I believe his narrations were really quite good for a 7 yr old. He could give me several paragraphs. We did our first written narration on Wednesday and despite doing it exactly as the guide instructed and reading the appendix in the back, we were back to "I don't know." I will say this is my child who does not do well with the unknown or not being sure of how to do something. We actually had the same problem with the action rhymes and when I started demonstrating them for him the first 2 days he became more comfortable with participating the last 3 days. By the end of LHFHG he loved the action rhymes. In the end I did get three sentences from him for the written narration by asking him a lot of questions. I am assuming if I just stay the course this too will come. I was just curious what others experience has been.

[momtofive]

I have one of these, too! The oldest did super with transitioning, and my next one struggles to no end. We've done the guides as written, and have worked on it, but it's still like pulling teeth getting the written narration accomplished.

I'll be "listening" along with you!

[julsoliveira]

Oh my gosh ladies. When my Preparing son started the transition from Oral to written, it was like pulling teeth. I swear you would have thought i'd asked him to re-chisel the ten commandments or copy the Dead sea scrolls for the amount of whining and tears he gave me. In reality, it was just a 3 sentence history Narration. lol I was frustrated then, but now I can laugh about it because it was just growing pains. It only took two or three narrations before it clicked with him. Now he sometimes writes a 2 paragraph narration because he's so full of information, it all sort of spills out. I look at like anything else that we moms know we have to let our kids learn, like potty training, or riding a bike. The first couple weeks took a little extra work, But in the end it was worth it

[my3sons]

... The first couple weeks took a little extra work, But in the end it was worth it

So true - wisely put, julsoliveira! Written narration skills, just like oral narration skills, take time, and some dc transition to it more quickly /naturally than others. Keep in mind 1 sentence is fine to start, as PHFHG starts with 1-3 sentences for written narrations. If ds seems anxious about it or unwilling to do it (because he probably doesn't want to make a mistake), you may want to model it more first, starting it for your ds by writing the first sentence yourself (making sure it is shorter and to the point), and then have him continue it. Then, he can dictate one and you can write it on a markerboard, and then he can copy it - this is a fine way to start. I'd try to accept anything he gives you at first, provided it's on the right topic. The leading questions really do help with direction too, and dc should look at the guide with you, orally answering the questions. They can also look at the guide as they are writing their written narration, to jog their memory. Keep plugging away with it! It will keep improving just as oral narration did.

In Christ,
Julie