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We're reading Tornado from the ER set. I'll ask her the follow up questions and she will often not know the answers and she'll ask if she can narrate instead. Then she'll give a beautiful narration. She's like this with bible too. She can almost never answer the questions in Bigger bible. She does have auditory processing and visual perception issues. IDK if that could be at play.

I have sort of the same situation with my daughter, although sometimes she can answer the questions. We are newly back in HOD, so we haven't done much narration yet, but sometimes she can give me much more detail about the story than what she needs to. I think history will be the hardest for her. A dad in our homeschool group is a teacher in a ps special needs class. He told me that, before he reads, he chooses a vocabulary word from the story and has them listen for that word. This is good for attention, but should also help them pick up more of what is being read. But, with my daughter, it seems like she hears it, but doesn't connect everything properly. She will hear something in the story that intrigues her (so she is focused on that), but then sometimes she doesn't realize how everything around it ties with it. Hope I'm making sense. Their minds work so differently. I know I wasn't any help. I'm interested in more response to your post.

It does sound like a processing issue. With narration she can just tell you everything she remembers, but when asked a pointed question she first has to process what the question is asking, then she has to sort through what she has read to find a specific answer, and then process how to articulate it. For typical kids that can be easier than narration, but with an auditory processing glitch it can be tougher. It's a lot of steps the brain has to go through. It also seems like the kids I have known with auditory processing challenges also have some anxiety about not giving the right answer and that can also impact their willingness to try. I would start with baby steps. Have her read along with you 1 or 2 of the questions before she reads, then tell her to look for the answer as she reads. It is also ok for her to look back through the book to find the answer. At this point she just may need to do that. That isn't atypical for that age.

Lynn, I know this isn't my thread, but 'thanks' for the insight. Looking over the questions before we read is a good idea. I know Angie has some processing issues and what you said would be beneficial. She can give lots of detail about the story sometimes, but it isn't always in order. I can see that when she writes too. She jumps from one thought to another and then back to one she already said, so that she has repeated herself several times in one small note, poem or story. She likes to do that for fun sometimes. It's tough teaching them how to order their thoughts.

Mumkins,

Lynn did a great job of helping you! I'll just pop-in to mention that it is wonderful that your daughter is able to narrate well! I'll also share that it isn't uncommon for kiddos to have an inclination toward either narrations or answering questions. This is because each type of assignment appeals to a different type of learner and requires a diferent thought process. Questions often have the expectation of one right answer, whereas narration allows kiddos to choose to share what they took from the story and focus on that. Narration is more open-ended.

So, as we look at learners who are more comfortable in knowing exactly what to do and how to do it, and who thrive on one right answer, we can see that questions will appeal to these types of children. On the other hand, as we look at kiddos who are more free-flowing through their day, who do not like to be restricted, and who enjoy creativity, we can see that narrations will appeal to these types of children.

In looking at the challenges the questions are providing for your daughter, Lynn is right in that it would help for your child to know the questions prior to reading. Just be aware that sharing the questions prior to reading, will put your child's focus wholely on finding the answers to those questions as she reads, so if you shift gears and then ask her to narrate after reading she may be lost.

Usually as kiddos travel through HOD, they eventually get to the point where they learn to work within their weaker area well. This means that kiddos that weren't born narrators can learn to narrate well, and kiddos who have a tough time answering questions can learn to excel in that area too. It just takes time, often years! So be encouraged that while a processing disorder may definitely play a role in how quickly a child progresses in a weak area, all kiddos will have some struggles in any area that does not come naturally to his/her learning and personality style. As always, when we are pondering a child's learning progress, it is hard to know where an actual disorder ends and where the diversity of a "typical" childhood personality or learning-style begins.

Blessings,
Carrie