Description: Retelling provides an opportunity for readers to process what they have read by organizing and explaining it to others. Retelling develops students’ story grammar because they must identify crucial points and the support information. It also reinforces sequencing since it demands remembering information, events, and processes. It encourages interacting with the text from a variety of perspectives: their own, their audience’s, and the author’s. Retelling supports good reading because students must engage in repeated readings of the text, which supports fluency. Naturally, retelling is its own form of assessment – since the student’s recitation confirms his/her reading of it and reveals the extent of his/her comprehension. Research indicates that retelling increases both the quantity and quality of what is comprehended. Teachers can use retelling as a way to build silent reading fluency and to measure comprehension. Having a student retell allows a teacher to assess a student’s understanding. Retelling allows teachers to gain insight into what a student views as important and also how the student organizes information. A checklist of what is to be covered is helpful as the student retells the text. This strategy can determine whether the student knows the main idea, can make inferences, identify concepts, make generalizations, and connect to the text.
Step-by-Step
- When introducing retelling, clearly explain to students the steps of how to retell and why it is important. Model it for them. While modeling, comment on how one determines what to include in retelling, why it is performed a certain way, or why a particular strategy (e.g., graphic organizer) is used in supporting the retelling.
- Emphasize the sequence and structure of the text as the logical means for retelling.
- Students read through the text several times to identify and internalize the most important points of the text. Use a graphic organizer or some other appropriate organizer to prepare the retelling using their own words and style. Whether using storytelling techniques or a formal description, students should look for places to provide emphasis and use such devices as transition words. Encourage them, if appropriate, to prepare visual aids.
- Begin with shorter, easier texts and, as student proficiency increases, move to longer and more complicated texts.
- Assess retellings based on audience understanding and appreciation. Allow time for follow-up discussion of content and delivery.
Extensions
- Have students do their first retelling in writing, possibly in a less formal setting such as their journal.
- As students learn to identify the important elements and sequence them in effective ways, students can do retellings in pairs, progressing to small groups, then to the whole class.
Consider developing a rubric for the assignment to be used by the reteller and the audience. It can guide the discussion and improve the reteller’s performance.