Retelling
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Why: Retelling stories is part of a typical progression children go through as they learn to read. They progress from talking about pictures to connecting ideas across pages using “book language.”  Eventually, they will begin to use a variety of strategies including knowledge of letters and sounds or picture cues to comprehend texts (Sulzby, 1985). Retelling stories helps children develop understandings of both story structure and language which ultimately contributes to understanding text (Morrow, 1985).

Retelling will prompt growth in the following areas:

1. Knowledge of text forms
2. Knowledge of text conventions
3. Conscious awareness of processes involved in text construction
4. Range and variety of text forms and conventions being employed in other writing tasks
5. Control of vocabulary
6. Reading flexibility
7. Confidence

                                                    Read and Retell, Brown, Hazel and Cambourne, Brian; Heinemann 1987
Assessments
Retelling
MLPP Narrative or Informational Retelling Rubric K-5
DRA2 K-3, DRA 4-8
QRI

• Assessed through retell, think-aloud, unaided recall/recall with look-back of explicit and implicit questions

QRI, Basic Reading Inventory

• Optional retelling
• Comprehension questions (explicit and implicit)

Assessment for Reading Instruction
(Rubric being developed)

Expanded Rubrics
Retelling Narrative Rubric 3-12
Retelling Informational Rubric K-12

Observation Opportunities                                                                                                            During group talk, during read aloud                                                                                               Pair-and-share                                                                                                                                 Conferring or any kind of “workshop  talk”                                                                                       Filling out any kind of graphic organizer such as a story mountain or a GO Shape Map                

Benchmarks  -- Students are assessed on their ability to retell (written or orally) on developmentally appropriate text.
2nd Grade: Recount stories, including fables and folktales, from diverse cultures and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.                                                                                      1st Grade:  Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.                                                                                    
Kindergarten: With prompting and support, retell familiar stories including key details.             Pre-Kindergarten: Retells familiar stories using pictures or props as prompt.