RETELL FAMILIAR STORIES

One of the standards that children have a difficult time with is retelling stories.  It's important to repeat stories and provide children with the tools to engage them in retelling stories.

Puppets 

What child doesn't love puppets?  Children can make stick puppets, lunch sack puppets, paper plate puppets, envelope puppets, etc. of favorite characters from books read. Their “puppet” can then retell the story.
                           
Flannel Board 

In spite of all the technical devices, children still enjoy manipulating objects on a flannel board.  To make a simple flannel board, staple the sides of a file folder and glue felt to the front. Make characters from felt or copy color photos from the book, cut them out, and attach a piece of Velcro to the back. Model how to retell the story and then invite the children to retell it using the felt pieces.

*Folk tales, such as "The Tortoise and the Hare," “The Little Red Hen,” “The Three Bill Goats Gruff,” “Gingerbread Boy,” etc. work well as flannel board stories.

Dramatize 

Invite children to be different characters in a story and role play various scenes.

Blank Books 

Fold two sheets of paper in half and staple. After reading a story, have children make a book about it.

Cartoon Frames

Run off copies of cartoon frames so children can draw the sequence of events in a story. Start with two frames for the beginning and the end. Next, try three frames so they can draw the beginning, middle, and end. Finally, offer for frames for first, next, then, and last.
                                                   
Story Bracelets

String color-coded beads on a pipe cleaner to help prompt children as they retell stories.

Three Pigs

Once upon a time there were three little pigs. (3 pink beads)
The first little pig built a house of straw. (1 yellow bead)
The second little pig built a house of sticks. (1 brown bead)
The third little pig built a house of bricks. (1 red bead)
One day a big bad wolf came along. (1 black bead)
He went to the house of the first little pig and said,
“Little pig, little pig, let me come in.” (Touch yellow bead.)
The little pig said, “Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.”
“Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house in”…
The wolf climbed up on the chimney so he could get the pigs.
The pigs put a big pot of boiling water in the fireplace. (blue bead)
When the wolf hit the hot water he jumped out of the fireplace and was never heard from again.
And that’s the story of the three little pigs!
(Twist ends of pipe cleaner to make a bracelet.)