Retelling Strategies Made Simple

My students struggle to remember what they've read. As a result, we've been working on actively thinking about the text as they read. One way we do this is by stopping on each page to retell what they read using three strategies:

• Stop, Think, Paraphrase - SAY what happened

• Stop and Jot - WRITE what happened

• Stop and Sketch - DRAW what happened

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Teaching Sequence

Initially, I begin by introducing each of the strategies separately using the gradual release of responsibility method. 

• Model the strategy. (I DO)
• Practice it together with my modeling and them practicing it at the same time. (WE DO)
• Provide opportunities for students to independently practice the strategy while offering them support. (YOU DO)

Eventually, we practice all three strategies together using one text. During my read aloud, we first stop after each page and practice paraphrasing together as a group (Stop, Think, Paraphrase). 

I model how I simplify my paraphrasing and write down what happened in the story (Stop and Jot). I challenge the students to write 5 words or less when they jot, since their paraphrasing tends to be wordy. This encourages them to focus on the most important details. Plus the purpose of the strategy is to write a quick note to help them remember what they read without overwhelming them by having to write a lot.

I also model drawing a quick picture to summarize what happened (Stop and Sketch). Similar to the Stop and Jot strategy, I remind them it's only a quick sketch to help remember what they read. As a result, I tell them it's not art class and recommend they use stick figures to save time.

As I'm modeling each strategy, students practice applying them in their own reading notebooks. You can use any loose-leaf paper, whiteboards, post-it notes, etc. I prefer to keep it all within one notebook so I'm able to view their progress with the strategies. 

Next Steps

After finishing the book, I model how to use our notes/sketches to retell the story. This shows students how the stategies help them remember what they've read.

We also practice using our notes to easily find answers to questions, since inevitably students are expected to take standardized tests. I ask questions and they use their notes to answer the questions and/or tell me which page to find the evidence. 

By using our notes to practice these additional skills, it leads to more student buy-in. They begin to see exactly how these strategies can help them be more successful with their reading.

Tips for Success

Even though we practice all three strategies at the same time, I do not expect students to implement them all at once. I model and guide students through all three but ask them to try one strategy for each page. The goal is for them to ultimately decide which strategy works best for them based on their own strengths. As we know some students love to draw but dread writing. So why force them to use an approach that isn't a good fit for them?

My daily exit ticket for students is to tell me the strategy that we practiced. But I don't allow them to just name the strategy, they must explain to me what we did. If they're able to explain it, that helps them internalize the strategy.

Another part of their exit ticket is to reflect on if the strategy was effective for them and I ask them to tell me why/why not. My goal is to help them find strategies that work best for them, so it is crucial for them to self reflect.

Read Alouds

Check out some of the picture books we have used to practice these strategies. Click on the links to find out more about each book!

• The Way Home for Wolf
• Ricky the Rock That Couldn't Roll
• Tooth Trouble

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Have you used any of these retelling strategies with your students? Share your tips for implementation or other strategies that you have found successful in the comments!

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