Missouri Humanities Council e-News | October 2009 | View Online  

Narrating the Events of the Day

By Julie Douglas, Family Program Specialist

Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact. —Robert McKee

Recently I attended a fabulous workshop by Saroj Ghoting, who is a consultant in early childhood literacy.  She suggested that we encourage parents to "narrate their day" in order to fill a child's day with language.  In READ from the START, we remind parents to talk to their children and tell stories, but I love the idea of being a narrator for very young children in an effort to marry words to what they are experiencing.

So, what exactly is a good narrator?  By definition, a narrator simply tells the story of what is happening.  A narrator who also plays a part in the story is called a viewpoint character.

Most of us probably don't view our average day as providing much to narrate.  But…through the eyes of a young child, ordinary can really be a very fascinating and language-rich experience!

Take for example, making a pot of coffee.

"Good morning, baby!  Mom is filling up this coffee pot with water. Oooh, this water is so cold. But in a few minutes, the pot will be full of steamy, black coffee.  Would you like to watch me grind the coffee beans?  First let's sniff them to make sure they are fresh.  Mmmmmmm, do you like the smell?  Listen to the sound they make when I pour them into the grinder.  Let's count to three and push the button to start the grinder. One...Two...Three. Whrrrrrrrrrrrr!  That’s such a loud noise, isn’t it?  Can you make a sound like a coffee grinder?  Now we can scoop the grounds into the filter.  One scoop, two scoops, three scoops, four. Coffee helps mama get out the door!"

Did you notice how the narrator encouraged the listener to use his senses? Did you spot the open-ended questions? The use of rhythm (counting) and rhyme and vocabulary? What could have been an ordinary morning chore became a language adventure.   When we think of ourselves as "narrators," our everyday experiences--walking the dog, cooking, exploring the yard, running errands--offer a wealth of opportunities to share stories with young children.

[Return to Passages Front Page]

Also in This Issue:

• Transformations: A Conference for Museums and Libraries
• Michael Bouman's Blog on Demographic Transformations
• ReadMOre Celebrates the Mark Twain Centennial
• Friends With A Mummy
• Osceola, Missouri Blogs at the Smithsonian
• Shawnee and Delaware Exhibit Opening in Marble Hill
• MHC Executive Director Search Opens October 15

Support the Council

Purchases from online retailers Amazon.com, eBay, and others yield a donation to the Council with no cost to you. The retailer contributes a portion of its profits on each transaction when you shop through giveness.com/mohumanities