Readers briefly identify specific text details in correct order, usually including characters, setting, problems, and solution (fiction), or the main ideas of the text (nonfiction).
If you see readers who . . .
Retelling helps readers recall what is happening in the story, develop a sense of text structures in nonfiction, and become more accurate in monitoring their understanding.
Think about the particular text elements that relate to the genre you are reading and use them to tell about what you read in order.
For narrative texts, we start by modeling, using a Retell Rope, a small rope knotted eight times. Each knot represents one thought from the story. We also show the class a picture representation of the rope. We explain that when we come to each knot, it will remind us to state the next event from the story. After reading the story, we retell it using the rope and knots as kinesthetic reminders, stopping at each knot to tell an important detail from the story: Characters, Setting, Problem, Event 1, Event 2/Next, Event 3/, Event 4/Finally, Ending—Circle Back to Solve Problem.
We also explain and model multiple ways to retell nonfiction text, using organization and text structures to signify the order we'll use—such as chronological order, cause/effect, problem/solution, compare/contrast, and classification, Here, we find that highlighting the text structures individually and anchoring them to graphic organizers help students recognize them and use them to retell.
Suggested language:
Possible ways to differentiate instruction:
Reconsider materials, setting, instruction, and cognitive processes.
These strategies may provide support before, during, and after teaching this strategy:
Want to hear about this strategy from a student's perspective? Let Kid Teacher, Miss Hadley, tell you—in her own words—how this strategy helps her grow as a reader. We think it will help your students too!
Each book below has a coordinating lesson with an explicit example to teach this strategy. Select a book cover below, then download the lesson to see for yourself. At The Daily CAFE these were called Lit Lessons.
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