What is it?

Retelling is a strategy used in the primary grades to help students recognize, organize, and summarize parts of a story. It is how young children share what they have read.

Why is it important?

Retelling is important because it is the first way that young children demonstrate comprehension. It teaches them to attend to the characters, the sequence of events, and how problems are solved.

What can I do at home?

After you have read with your child, or your child has finished a book independently, ask them what happened in the story. You might choose from the following list to help them with their retelllng:

• In the beginning or first…
• Next…
• Then…
• After that …
• In the end or finally…

Encourage your child to add some detail as he or she retells. Questions you might ask are:

• Who was this story about?
• When did the story happen?
• Where did the story happen?
• What was the main character’s problem?
• How was the problem solved?
• How did the story end?