Gemma’s Written Narrations: Weeks 6 through 9

In case you’re wondering what a child’s first written narrations look like, here are my daughter’s 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th narrations. She’s 8 years old, in “3rd grade.” She does one written narration per week (usually on Mondays - I wanted to make sure they got done early in the week), and she prefers to do them about her geography book: The World by the Fireside. I told her that each narration must be in cursive and must be at least 3 sentences (one sentence per grade level).

This one was not from The World By the Fireside. It was from Our Island Story. “When she died, her dog st-st-stayed with her. Wah😢Sorry I got ‘amotional.’ ”

Below, her narration about The Great Bat was written on another piece of paper, cut out, and glued diagonally (on purpose) because, she said, in all of the books she reads about kids who go to school, there are pages that look like that.

Gemma with a Supreme Court Justice

Last night, Gemma met Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The Supreme Court judge was literally across the street from our house, so we couldn’t not go. She was doing a book signing for her new children’s book Just Ask! In it, children with various special needs introduce themselves and explain what makes them different. Children are often told not to stare at someone with special needs, however Sotomayor said children should be taught to just ask. Because I teach lots of students who have special needs, and lots of students who don’t, I see a big need for teaching all students how to talk to each other about disabilities. My objective here had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with how I continually try to show Gemma that 1)there are so many things she can be when she grows up, and 2)no person is off limits.

Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast

Today I got to be a guest on one of my favorite podcasts - Raising Lifelong Learners. Talking with Colleen Kessler was so much fun, and I hope our conversation will encourage homeschool moms at the start of this new school year (and new not-back-to-school year). To listen to the episode click here.

Your Child Might Have A Teacher Who...

It’s the beginning of a new school year. The past two weeks, I’ve been thinking about why our family homeschools when I’m a public school teacher who believes public education needs to be an option. 

This year, my school hired four new teachers. Only one of them is truly new to teaching, but it got me thinking about how sometimes homeschool moms feel like they don’t know what they’re doing, and wonder whether their children would be getting a better education in public school.

I want to tell you - one - that you know more than you think you know, and - two - that putting your child in public school doesn’t guarantee that a teacher will know what they’re doing.

Your child might have a teacher who:

• Is brand new, has never had her own classroom, is idealistic and inexperienced 
• Has been teaching one subject for 3 years, and feels like she’s just gotten her footing, but due to the way public school works, is placed by administrators in a different subject
• Has been teaching 7 years, but has never taught your child’s grade level and is new to your child’s school (which means learning where everything is, who everyone is, who to ask for what, how to ask, and how things work)
• Has been teaching 14 years, but moves to a different subject in which she’s teaching seven different grade levels, and will have to learn the subject as she goes

These are not descriptions of the four new teachers we hired. These four teachers are all me at various points in my career. 

If you’re wondering if your child would be better off in school, with someone who knows what she’s doing, I’m here to tell you your child might not be in her class.

You know your home. You know where things are (except for times you don’t). You know who everyone is (too well). You know how to get what you need (by using Amazon and Instacart). You know how things work (and when they don’t, you’re a surprisingly good problem solver).

Happy not-back-to-school. You got this.😊

Gemma’s Fourth Written Narration

“The goldsmith was very tricky because he was able to do a trick in which he takes some acid and quickly pours some into the anvil. He pours the acid so he can get some of the gold for himself. He works in a house and will work for an entire day, for just half a rupee.”

This narration is from The World by the Fireside. 

Now that Gemma is in 3rd grade, I decided to require one written narration per week. (In Form Upper IA, Charlotte Mason suggested “an occasional written narration,” and I consider once a week “occasional.”) Gemma likes having clear expectations, so I told her that because she is in 3rd grade, I want three sentences (one per grade). 

After writing the above narration, she asked if her written narrations could follow this book every week. I said yes. I like that she expresses her preferences to me and is agentically engaged in her education.

My goal for her for this year is just for her to get used to writing - weekly - about something she’s read. I’m not correcting spelling (though I will tell her how to spell a word if she asks), and I’m not correcting punctuation or grammar - which isn’t easy. I just want her to get used to writing as an assignment and writing nonfiction. 

Think about how big those expectations are in and of themselves. In school, we don’t let children master those two expectations first, and then give them two more. No. Instead we give them a lengthy checklist right off the bat. 

Indent two finger spaces. Capitalize what should be capitalized. Use correct punctuation. Make sure your sentences have subjects and predicates. On top of all that, be interesting.

Will I be able to keep from correcting her mechanics? From telling her to use an adjective or two? From telling her that her sentences need to be a minimum of x words? Can I manage this for a year?

Gemma’s First Written Narration

This is Gemma’s first written narration. It’s also the first time she’s ever written in cursive on notebook paper! The chapter I read aloud to her was from M.B. Synge’s Discovery of New Worlds, about Hernan Cortes. Gemma asked if she could write “diary style.” I wasn’t quite sure what she meant. Turns out it meant she was creating a To Do List for Cortes. Note: I read that Hernan was known as Hernando and Fernando. Here is Gemma’s narration: “Ferdinand is not king. Fernando sails to island. Find Indians. Find gold. Find pearls.”

This Week in 3rd Grade

We finished reading Beware Princess Elizabeth, and started Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.

We finished reading The Princess and the Goblin (Gemma requested The Princess and Curdie), and started Children of the New Forest.

We went to Benihana...

Gemma completed her summer reading log and turned it in at the library, so she got a Benihana kid’s meal coupon and a new book of her choice from a special cart. (Yes, Gemma did wear her kimono to Benihana.)

..the Cayton Children’s Museum...

...the Getty Villa...

The Villa has a new audio tour for kids, based on the Percy Jackson books (which we haven’t read, and you don’t have to have read the books to enjoy the tour). The tour is Greek mythology meets Choose Your Own Adventure. At the beginning of the tour you’re told that you’re a half-blood and that you are on the search for your mythological parent. Gemma’s mother ended up being Aphrodite...the first time we did the tour. But it was so fun that we went back and changed our choices to see what other possibilities we could end up with. 

We also went to diving class, water polo class, and a birthday party at Rediscover Center, and did our usual schoolwork.

Finally, a panoramic shot of the library books Gemma has checked out right now...