A powerful comprehension activity where students orally retell stories using beginning, middle, and end structure, building understanding of narrative elements and oral language skills.
Story Retelling helps Grade 1 students demonstrate and deepen their understanding of stories by recounting them in their own words. After listening to or reading a story, students practice retelling the important parts in sequence, using key details about characters, setting, and events. This activity strengthens comprehension, vocabulary, memory, and oral language while building a foundation for written summaries later.
ELO 2: Learners will comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print, and other media texts.
ELO 3: Learners will manage ideas and information.
Use the "Story Hand" to help students remember the five key elements of a story retelling:
Who is in the story?
Where and when does it happen?
What is the problem or challenge?
What happens? (Beginning, Middle, End)
How is the problem solved?
Students use puppets to act out and retell the story, giving voice to different characters.
Draw 3-4 pictures of key events, then use pictures to guide oral retelling.
Complete a story map graphic organizer, then use it to support oral retelling.
Groups act out the story with assigned roles while one student narrates.
