Retelling: The Whys and Hows

Many parents read to their children and/or have their children read a book to them.  Parents often support their child's initial attempts to read by strategically helping them figure out words their child might not know.  For example, parents often suggest that their child "sound out" unknown words. Although it is imperative that children learn to decode words, the end goal of reading is to understand what we are reading (i.e. reading comprehension).  A strategy that parents can use to support their young child's reading comprehension is retelling.

Retelling is exactly that - retelling a story after it has been read.  Reading comprehension is supported when children retell a story to their parents immediately after the child has heard or read the story.  When one of my first graders reads a story or has a story read to them, and then is able to retell the story by telling the characters, setting, problem, and events of the story in order, I am confident that he or she has at least minimal comprehension of the story.  Throughout these reading sessions, I actively scaffold my students' understanding of the story by asking them who the characters are, where the story takes place, what is happening now, what they predict will happen next, and to identify the problem in the story.  Asking questions (particularly open ended questions) promotes additional elaborations of your child's thinking and helps them to think deeper about what they are reading.

Six and seven year olds learn by touching and so I have created a physical mnemonic to help them retell.  (A mnemonic is a device that helps people remember things. )  I use a pipe cleaner with mini-erasers, beads, and ribbons to support childrens' blossoming retelling skills.  This is a picture of what I use in school.

The gingerbread man represents the character(s), the tree is the setting, the red open ribbon is the problem, the white beads are the events, and the tied ribbon with the red bead is the resolution of the problem and the end of the story.  To support their retelling, children hold the mnemonic.  They touch the mini-erasers and swipe the beads up the pipe cleaner as they retell the story.  When they are ready, I will add a heart to represent their favorite part and a mini puzzle piece to represent a connection they have to the story.

The effects of children's retelling on early language and literacy acquisition have been thoroughly studied.  Studies indicate that retelling is an effective strategy for not only promoting reading comprehension as I emphasize here, but also for increasing expressive vocabulary and receptive language skills.  In other words, retelling stories deepens their understanding of the story, expands their vocabulary, and also increases their understanding of what people are saying.  

Of course, not everything we read is in narrative form.  Children also love reading non-fiction.  Strategies for enhancing understanding of non-fiction text will be the topic of my next post!