Retelling the Text

RETELLING THE TEXT

March 2011Clark

CONTENT OBJECTIVES 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.

WHY TEACH RETELLING?

FIRST “RUNG” ON THE LADDER … PAGE 1

“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

MARZANOCategory 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

LIFE SKILL EXAMPLES Adult – Summary report for a boss Student – Retelling the basics of the

latest movie seen over the weekend or the latest music video

WHAT KIND OF RETELLING INSTRUCTION IS

APPROPRIATE FOR PRIMARY STUDENTS? INTERMEDIATE

STUDENTS?SECOND “RUNG” ON THE LADDER …

PAGE 2

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

EXPECTATIONS PrimaryModelingThink AloudsDiscussionOral RetellingScriptingDrawingGroup Writing

Intermediate

Compares and Contrasts BEST retellings

Creates Look-ForsWrites retellings

MODES OF LEARNING

Listening Speaking Reading Writing

Receptive

Expressive

WHAT ARE SOME PREREQUISITES FOR

RETELLING? THIRD “RUNG” ON THE LADDER …

PAGE 3

PREREQUISITES FOR RETELLING SUCCESS

Experiences with text Vocabulary Skills:

SequenceDetermining the importance of information

(Main idea/details)Elements of FictionText Structure of Expository Text

EXPERIENCES WITH TEXT

VOCABULARY

DETERMINING IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION

vs

SEQUENCE Beginning, Middle, End Signal Words ~then ~next ~finally Time Order Words ~first ~second ~last

IS INFORMATION 100% TRUE

EXPOSITORY TEXT STRUCTURE

Cause/Effect Compare/Contrast Description Sequence Problem/Solution

ELEMENTS OF FICTION:CHARACTERS, SETTING, PLOT (PROBLEM/RESOLUTION), THEME

HOW DO WE SCAFFOLD RETELLING

INSTRUCTION?DEVELOP LANGUAGE ORAL

WRITTEN FOURTH AND FIFTH “RUNGS” ON THE

LADDER

MODES OF LEARNING

Listening Speaking Reading Writing

Receptive

Expressive

BEGINNING STEPS … “TALKING THE TALK”

- Oral retelling

- Develop academic language

PICTURE PROMPTS

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 ___ __ ___ ___ ___ ____ __ ____ . Theref ore, __ __ ____ __ ______ ________________ ________ ______ . As a result, __ ________ ______ ______________ ________________ . Comparison/Contrast Text

__ __ ______ ___ and _ __ __ ______ are similar in several ways. Both _____ __ and ___ ____ __ . __ __ ___ __ and ___ __ ____ __ have similar _____ __ ___ . Finally, both _ ___ ___ ____ and __ __ ______________ . OR

__ __ ______ __ and __ __ __ ____ are diff erent in several ways. First, _____ __ ____ , while _____ ________ ____ ____ _. Secondly, _ __ _______ but _____ __ ______ _ _______ _____ . I n addition while __ ___ ___ __ ___ , _____ __ ______ _ . Finally, _ __ ____ __ ________ ___ , while _____ __ ______ ______ . Sequence Text

Here is how _ ___ ____ __ ______ ____ ___ is made. First, _ __ ________ . Next, ____ ______ ________ ______ . Then, _____ ______ _______ . Finally, _____ __ ______ ________ __ ______ . Cause/Eff ect Text

Because of _________ , _____ _____ . ____ __ ____ caused _____ __ _____ . Theref ore___ ________ __ _ . Finally, due to __ ______ __ _ , _____ __ ___ __ _ . This explains why _ ____ __ __ ___ . Descriptive Text

There are ______ ____ kinds of _ __ ___ __ _ __ ___ . The fi rst kind of _____ __ ___ is ___ ___ __ ___ __ . I t _ ____ __ ______ ____________ . The second one is _ ___ ________ _________ . I t ___ ________ ____ _____ . The third _______ ________ ________ __ ______ ______ ____ __ __ . Now you can recognize the _____ __ _____ kinds of ______ ___ _____ ___ __ .

from Kansas Journal of Reading 1997

TOOLS FOR RETELLING

Story Frames

Story Summary with one character included

Our story is about

_________________________________. _________ is an important

character in our story. _____________ tried to _________________. The

story ends when __________________.

Important idea or plot In this story the problem starts when

_________________ __________. After that, ______________________.

Next, __________. Then, ________________________. The problem is

finally solved when ________________________. The story ends

___________.

SettingThis story takes place

________________________. I know this because the author uses the

words “____________________”. Other clues that show when the story

takes place are _____________________________________ .

Character Analysis ____________________ is an important

character in our story. __________ is important because

____________ . Once, he/she ___________________. Another time

__________________________ . I think that _________________

(character’s name) is ____________________ (character trait) because

________________________ .

Character comparison _______________ and ______________ are

two characters in the story. ___________________ (character name) is

_________________ (trait) while ___________________ (character name)

is _________________ (trait). For instance, __________________tries to

___________ and _______________ tries to ______________________ .

_______________ learns a lesson when

__________________________________________________.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

TEXT FRAMES FOR RETELLING

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 diff erent in several ways. First, ___________ , while ______________________ . Secondly, __________ but ______________ ____________ . I n addition while _____________ , ______________ . Finally, _ ___________________ , while ___________________ . Sequence Text

Here is how _______________________ is made. First, _ __________ . Next, ________________________ . Then, _______ ___________ . Finally, _____________________________ . Cause/Eff ect Text

Because of ______ ___ , __________ . _____ _____ caused ____________ . Theref ore______________ . Finally, due to ___________ , _____________ . This explains why ____ __ ______ . Descriptive Text

There are ______ ____ kinds of ___________ ___ . The fi rst kind of __________ is _____________ . I t _ ___ ____________ _________ . The second one is _____________________ . I t ____________________ . The third ____________________________________ _________ . Now you can recognize the ___________ _ kinds of __ _________________ .

from Kansas Journal of Reading 1997

Story Frames

Story Summary with one character included

Our story is about _________________________________.

_________ is an important character in our story. _____________ tried to

_________________. The story ends when __________________.

Important idea or plotIn this story the problem starts when

_________________ __________. After that, ______________________. Next,

__________. Then, ________________________. The problem is finally solved

when ________________________. The story ends ___________.

Setting This story takes place ________________________. I

know this because the author uses the words “____________________”.

Other clues that show when the story takes place are

_____________________________________ .

Character Analysis____________________ is an important character in our

story. __________ is important because ____________ . Once, he/she

___________________. Another time __________________________ . I think

that _________________ (character’s name) is ____________________

(character trait) because ________________________ .

Character comparison_______________ and ______________ are two

characters in the story. ___________________ (character name) is

_________________ (trait) while ___________________ (character name) is

_________________ (trait). For instance, __________________tries to

___________ and _______________ tries to ______________________ .

_______________ learns a lesson when

__________________________________________________.

OTHER STRATEGIES

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.

DON’T STOP HERE

RESEARCH-BASED INSTRUCTION:

COMPARING/CONTRASTING RETELLINGS

SIXTH “RUNG” ON THE LADDER

MARZANOCategory 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

ReadingAcrossTexts

WHAT IS THE STUDENTS’ ROLE IN CREATING

CRITERIA FOR THE BEST RETELLING?

• Is the written information accurate?• Does the retelling provide the “gist” of the author’s

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?

SAMPLE

Retelling Look-Fors

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS FOR “BEST” RETELLING PRACTICE

Read the selection Students write retellings Teacher analyzes student papers and pulls sample papers to discuss With students:

Compare and contrast papersDetermine needed improvementsCreate/review criteria (Look-Fors) for best retellingsStudents improve the retellings




• Is the written information accurate?• Does the retelling provide the “gist” of the author’s

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



Compare and contrast papersDetermine needed improvementsCreate/review criteria (Look-Fors) for best retellings

Students improve the retellings

Classroom created Look-For Chart




HOW DOES INSTRUCTION MOVE BEYOND THE TEST

FORMAT? SEVENTH “RUNG” ON THE LADDER

REFLECT/RETELL TODAY’S PRESENTATION

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

Documents

Retelling the Text