Writing can take some time for dc to become comfortable with, and different dc respond better to different aspects of writing. The creative writing in PHFHG really is a different avenue for dc to practice writing, as it is short, quite directed, creative, yet done in the framework of Robert Louis Stevenson's poetry. The creative writing in PHFHG really does help dc slowly prepare for the increased writing using WWTB in CTC. I am wondering if ds did "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" last year? If so, what books did he read, and how did the writing portion in the Student Notebook go? If he didn't, that will be important to add.
What about taking a month or two and doing the creative writing lessons, one a day, from PHFHG? You could also during this time focus on doing "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" to get him used to this, or if he has been doing that, to give him a chance to really focus on it fully. You could also read aloud a book of high interest to him, that is a wonderful living book, and have him write a written narration on it each day. I'd start small and be extremely encouraging! Maybe with 1 sentence - and accept whatever he writes, helping him edit it focusing on one thing at at time, working through the editing list one thing each setting. By the end of the month or 6 weeks, perhaps he can have worked up to a handful of sentences. One thing that you mentioned stands out to me - writing a bulleted list for him to include in his narration. It stands out to me because I did this for several years at the start of my dc doing narrations - both oral and written - only instead of writing a bulleted list out for them, I had the bulleted list in my mind. I was waiting for them to say the things on my list so I could call their narration 'good.' This is when my loving sister pointed out to me that this was not what Charlotte Mason intended, and that this was a summary instead of a narration, and that I needed to stop that.
It sounds like you are like I was, searching for certain things in ds's narrations, and if it's going anything like it did for me, your ds is probably feeling totally frustrated like he just can't get it right, and why don't you just write it for him?!?
My ds felt that way. Anyway, if you can, try to accept whatever he writes with encouragement. Try to encourage him to write one thing successfully at first. Then, two things can be written in sequential order. Then, three things can be written, preferably something from the beginning, something from somewhere in the middle, and something from somewhere toward the end. Eventually, try to have him work up to 5 things. Have him imagine he's a VCR (or DVD these days, I guess
) rewinding to the beginning of what was read, and telling you the highlights of the "movie" he just read. THis helped my ds.
Then, after this, I do think I'd start CTC half-speed, and work through it together, skipping nothing, and taking the time needed to build those skills slowly and steadily each day. If it takes you switching off on the reading for his history until he can take it over, that's ok at the start. I'd definitely keep doing DITHOR though, as well as WWTB, and all other writing components. This will increase his writing stamina, give him different avenues to practice his writing, and work to prepare him for the next guide. There is no reason to rush to the next guide - it is far better to do a guide to it's fullest. In fact, if you can, I'd suggest going half-speed at the close of PHFHG, and working all the whole guide's assignments as you do. I hope something here has helped, but keep at it - you will see growth little by little, and then your ds will be able to narrate more and more comfortably - even enjoying it - in the days to come!
In Christ,
Julie