March 2011

Clark
Discuss the importance of retelling.
Write the prerequisite skills for retelling.
Understand how to scaffold retelling
instruction.
Discuss available tools and strategies to
use in the classroom.
Understand the students role in retelling.



It is restating the essence of text or an
experience in as few words as possible or in a
new, yet efficient, manner. It can be done in
writing, but also orally, dramatically,
artistically, visually, physically, musically, in
groups, or individually. Summarization is one
of the most underused teaching techniques we
have today, yet research has shown that it
yields some of the greatest leaps in
comprehension and long-term retention of
information.
from Summarization in Any Subject by Rick
Wormeli

Category Ave. Effect
Size (ES)
Percentile
Gain
No. of ESs Standard
Deviation
(SD)
Identifying
similarities and
differences
1.61 45 31 .31
Summarizing
and note taking
1.00 34 179 .50
Reinforcing
effort and
providing
recognition
.80 29 21 .35
Homework and
practice
.77 28 134 .36
Categories of Instructional Strategies
that Affect Student Achievement
Adult Summary report for a boss
Student Retelling the basics of the latest
movie seen over the weekend or the latest
music video

STATE STANDARDS:

Standard 1 - Reading: The student reads and comprehends text across the curriculum.

Benchmark 4: The student comprehends a variety of texts (narrative, expository, technical, and
persuasive).
Kindergarten First Grade Second Grade Third Grade Fourth Grade Fifth Grade Sixth Grade Seventh
Grade
Eighth Grade High School
Retells or role
plays
important
events and
information
from the text.
Retells or
role plays
important
events and
main ideas
from narrative
and expository
texts.
Retells or
determines
important
events and
main ideas
from
narrative and
expository
texts.
Retells main
ideas or
events as well
as supporting
details in
narrative and
expository
texts.
Retells main
ideas or
events as well
as supporting
details in
appropriate-
level
narrative,
expository,
and technical
texts.
Retells main
ideas or
events as well
as supporting
details in
appropriate-
level
narrative,
expository,
technical, and
persuasive
texts.
Uses
paraphrasing
and
organizational
skills to
summarize
information
(e.g., stated
and implied
main ideas,
main events,
important
details) from
appropriate-
level
narrative,
expository,
persuasive,
and technical
texts in
logical order.
Uses
paraphrasing
and
organizational
skills to
summarize
information
(e.g., stated
and implied
main ideas,
main events,
important
details) from
appropriate-
level
narrative,
expository,
technical, and
persuasive
texts in
logical order.
Uses
paraphrasing
and
organizational
skills to
summarize
information
(e.g., stated
and implied
main ideas,
main events,
important
details) from
appropriate-
level
narrative,
expository,
technical, and
persuasive
texts in logical
order.
Uses
paraphrasing
and
organizational
skills to
summarize
information
(stated and
implied main
ideas, main
events,
important
details,
underlying
meaning) from
appropriate-
level narrative,
expository,
technical, and
persuasive
texts in logical
or sequential
order, clearly
preserving the
author's
intent.
TREASURES:
Grades K- 3.1 = Retell Grades 3.2 5 = Summarize
Primary
Modeling
Think Alouds
Discussion
Oral Retelling
Scripting
Drawing
Group Writing
Intermediate
Compares and
Contrasts BEST
retellings
Creates Look-Fors
Writes retellings
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Receptive
Expressive
Experiences with text
Vocabulary
Skills:
Sequence
Determining the importance of information (Main
idea/details)
Elements of Fiction
Text Structure of Expository Text
vs
Beginning, Middle, End
Signal Words
~then
~next
~finally
Time Order Words
~first
~second
~last

Cause/Effect
Compare/Contrast
Description
Sequence
Problem/Solution
Main Idea
Details
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Receptive
Expressive
- Oral retelling
- Develop academic language
Treasures Retelling Cards (K-2)

Overhead picture prompts

Character posters

Creating picture cards


Text Structure Frames
Problem/Solution Text
Sentence 1 Tells who had the problem and what the problem is.
Sentence 2/3 Tells what action was taken to try to solve the problem.
Sentence 4 Tells what happened as a result of the action taken.

_____________ had a problem because ________________________ .
Therefore, ______________________________________________ .
As a result, ______________________________________________ .


Comparison/Contrast Text
_____________ and ___________ are similar in several ways. Both
_______ and _________ . _________ and ___________ have similar
__________. Finally, both ___________ and __________________ .

OR
____________ and __________ are different in several ways. First,
___________ , while ______________________. Secondly, __________ but
______________ ____________ . In addition while _____________,
______________ . Finally, ____________________ , while
___________________ .


Sequence Text
Here is how _______________________ is made. First, ___________ .
Next, ________________________ . Then, __________________ . Finally,
_____________________________ .


Cause/Effect Text
Because of _________ , __________ . __________ caused
____________ . Therefore______________ . Finally, due to ___________ ,
_____________. This explains why ____________ .


Descriptive Text
There are __________ kinds of ______________ . The first kind of
__________ is _____________ . It _________________________ . The
second one is _____________________ . It ____________________ .
The third _____________________________________________ . Now you
can recognize the ____________ kinds of ___________________ .
from Kansas Journal of Reading 1997



Text Structure Frames
Problem/Solution Text
Sentence 1 Tells who had the problem and what the problem is.
Sentence 2/3 Tells what action was taken to try to solve the problem.
Sentence 4 Tells what happened as a result of the action taken.

_____________ had a problem because ________________________ .
Therefore, ______________________________________________ .
As a result, ______________________________________________ .


Comparison/Contrast Text
_____________ and ___________ are similar in several ways. Both
_______ and _________ . _________ and ___________ have similar
__________. Finally, both ___________ and __________________ .

OR
____________ and __________ are different in several ways. First,
___________ , while ______________________. Secondly, __________ but
______________ ____________ . In addition while _____________,
______________ . Finally, ____________________ , while
___________________ .


Sequence Text
Here is how _______________________ is made. First, ___________ .
Next, ________________________ . Then, __________________ . Finally,
_____________________________ .


Cause/Effect Text
Because of _________ , __________ . __________ caused
____________ . Therefore______________ . Finally, due to ___________ ,
_____________. This explains why ____________ .


Descriptive Text
There are __________ kinds of ______________ . The first kind of
__________ is _____________ . It _________________________ . The
second one is _____________________ . It ____________________ .
The third _____________________________________________ . Now you
can recognize the ____________ kinds of ___________________ .
from Kansas Journal of Reading 1997

Color coding paragraphs in the article to
match the color coded sentences in the
retelling.
Numbering or using Linking cubes instead of
color coding.
Kagan retelling cubes.
Category Ave. Effect
Size (ES)
Percentile
Gain
No. of ESs Standard
Deviation
(SD)
Identifying
similarities and
differences
1.61 45 31 .31
Summarizing
and note taking
1.00 34 179 .50
Reinforcing
effort and
providing
recognition
.80 29 21 .35
Homework and
practice
.77 28 134 .36
Categories of Instructional Strategies
that Affect Student Achievement
Reading
Across
Texts
Is the written information accurate?
Does the retelling provide the gist of the authors
message?
Is there a topic sentence that represents a big idea
with details that support that idea?
Are the details in the proper sequence?
Do the sentences hang together or are they just
random details from the text?
Do the details represent the whole passage in
narrative text instead of being from just one
paragraph or part of the selection?
If narrative text, are the main characters represented?
Does the retelling explain what the character(s)
experienced?
Retelling Look-Fors
Read the selection
Students write retellings
Teacher analyzes student papers and pulls
sample papers to discuss
With students:
Compare and contrast papers
Determine needed improvements
Create/review criteria (Look-Fors) for
best retellings
Students improve the retellings

Read the selection
Students write retellings
Teacher analyzes student papers and
pulls sample papers to discuss
With students:
Compare and contrast papers
Determine needed improvements
Create/review criteria (Look-Fors) for
best retellings
Students improve the retellings

Is the written information accurate?
Does the retelling provide the gist of the authors
message?
Is there a topic sentence that represents a big idea
with details that support that idea?
Are the details in the proper sequence?
Do the sentences hang together or are they just
random details from the text?
Do the details represent the whole passage in
narrative text instead of being from just one
paragraph or part of the selection?
If narrative text, are the main characters represented?
Does the retelling explain what the character(s)
experienced?
Retelling Look-Fors
Read the selection
Students write retellings
Teacher analyzes student papers and
pulls sample papers to discuss
With students:
Compare and contrast papers
Determine needed improvements
Create/review criteria (Look-Fors) for best
retellings
Students improve the retellings

Classroom created Look-For Chart
Read the selection
Students write retellings
Teacher analyzes student papers and pulls
sample papers to discuss
With students:
Compare and contrast papers
Determine needed improvements
Create/review criteria (Look-Fors) for
best retellings
Students improve the retellings



Topic
Main Idea
Details
Thinking about what you have already done with
retelling instruction, what will you add or change when
you return to the classroom?