DIY Homeschooler

Narration, the act of telling back, has long been used by educators to:

• Find out how much a student knows about a subject.
• Encourage a student to interact with what he has read, rather than to read passively.
• Encourage a student to dig for information, or to learn on his own.

There are many different forms narration can take — everything from the informal burst that naturally pours forth from a child interested in his subject to a more formal oral dissertation.

Here are 30 narration ideas:

We have deliberately left them very open-ended so that they can be used in a multitude of ways for a variety of purposes.

1. Tell what you have read.
2. Describe a character.
3. Describe the setting.
4. Write a summary.
5. Write a description.
6. Compare and contrast.
7. Ask five questions about what you have read.
8. Draw an illustration.
9. Create a graphic organizer.
10. Make a list.
11. Explain.
12. Give an example.
13. Think of another.
14. Prepare an outline.
15. Write a biography.
16. Write a how-to essay.
17. Write a similar short story.
18. Evaluate (the writing, the point of view, the decisions of a main character, etc.).
19. Design a brochure.
20. Create a poem.
21. Make a flip book.
22. Develop a timeline.
23. Create a poster or banner illustrating a motto.
24. Make a character trading card (interactive at ReadWriteThink.org).
25. Design a model.
26. Dramatize.
27. Make a prediction.
28. Create a storyboard or cartoon.
29. List character traits.
30. Write a book review.

Bonus (and this one is for us):

Listen.  Many times, we will find a child very willing to narrate — he may even have more to say than we will have time to listen to!

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Additional Resources

Language Arts the Natural Way: Narrating
You’ll find more on the benefits of narration, along with how-tos, resources, and tips in our Language Arts the Natural Way series.