Think about the last time that you were trying to learn something new.

Did you run out looking for the best 500 page workbook that you could find on the subject?

You more likely searched for the best books available on that topic with engaging text and practical examples (with pictures!). Maybe you took some notes or discussed what you learned with someone else that had knowledge of the subject.

Now think about how much you still remember. Most of us are products of a classroom education. Our grades were typically based on successfully completing a series of worksheets, quizzes, and tests. The information was placed in short-term memory by cramming for the next exam. Upon successfully satisfying our need for the information, we then quickly forgot it and moved on to the next task.

Unfortunately, these evaluation tools are sometimes necessary in an environment where large numbers of students need to be graded at the same time. However, we should not limit our teaching techniques to those methods that are most familiar to us. There are many more natural learning tools available to homeschoolers.

Charlotte Mason used the term "narration" to describe a student's summary of a recent reading assignment. The student was required to read, or listen to someone reading, a short section of a book. The student then submitted an oral or written recount of the text in their own words. The child was evaluated based on their recollection of the reading.

It is not possible or desirable to have an "answer key" for such discussions. The narrations are very individualized and allow for creativity. Most of all, narrations are an effective teaching tool that require a student to respond to their learning and to "own" their newly discovered knowledge.

Understandably, this technique has also been called the "teach back" method. As a teacher, you can probably relate to how much is learned by teaching someone else. It is a simple, yet remarkably effective technique. Many have said, "If you can teach it, then you have learned it for life."

For more information on using narrations to teach, you may want to visit the following websites:

Narration Beats Tests -- by Karen Andreola (author of A Charlotte Mason Companion)

Tips for Narration -- by Susan Wise Bauer (author of The Well-Trained Mind, A Guide to Classical Education at Home)

Illustrating Science Lessons is Another Form of Narration -- by Karen Andreola (author of A Charlotte Mason Companion)