Narration is the simplest retrieval practice there is. Charlotte Mason, a British educator in the late 1800s, made it the center of her schooling: read a passage once, attentively, then close the book and tell it back.
- Read or hear one short section.
- Close the book. Tell it back aloud, write it, or draw it.
- Check against the book. Note only what was missed.
- Revisit the misses, then tell it back again.
Key idea
No peeking while you narrate. The effort of pulling it out is what strengthens it.
Worked example: Worked example
After a chapter about the Pilgrims, a nine-year-old says, "First they sailed on the Mayflower, then they landed and built houses." The parent checks and sees the child left out the first winter. What happens next?
- Note the gap: the first winter.
- Reread only that part.
- Ask the child to tell back that part again.
Answer: Reread only the missed part, then narrate it again.
Why it works
Narration is retrieval practice, which the studies support. Putting it in your own words also adds meaning, which helps encoding.
Narration grows with age: young children tell it aloud; older students write narrations, outline them or draw diagrams.
Common mistake
Rereading the whole chapter after a narration. Reread only the gaps.