Internet Academy Resources
Retelling or Summarizing What is Retelling or Summarizing?
Something cool or exciting or sad has happened to you. The first thing you want to do is tell someone. A good movie gives you the same feeling. You want to tell someone all about it. Even reading a good story can make you want to share. That is called re-telling or summarizing.
How does Retelling or Summarizing help me a more effective reader?
Good question! You really have to think when you retell or summarize a story. It takes planning. It takes a brain that is actively thinking about the story. You have to figure out what happened first, second, third and last, all in order for the story to make sense to your listener. You have to figure out what are the most important parts in the story and share your excitement too.
Let’s start at the beginning!
- Think about where the story takes place.
- Think about the main characters.
- Now, what happens first?
- Right after that, what happens?
- Then, what comes next? (There are lots of little things that happen, but you are trying to remember the bigger things, the important things that happen to make the story keep going.)
- Do the characters feel a special way that is important to understand the story?
- What happens next?
- Keep thinking until you reach the end of the story.
What are different ways to retell or summarize?
- Younger readers can DRAW pictures. Number each picture in the order that it happens. Then TELL your story to a parent using your pictures to help you. PARENTS, if you can write down what your child is telling you they will have a written story to go along with their drawings. There is something special about seeing their words on paper!
- Older readers can also DRAW pictures to retell a story. Using creative drawing skills is an effective way to communicate for all learners. When you are finished drawing, number your pictures, retell the story in writing to accompany your drawings and definitely share your creation with a parent or friend!
- Think, plan and make some notes and then retell the story ALOUD to a parent or friend. Just for fun, tape record your retelling or even have someone video tape you!
- Retell the story by WRITING A LIST following the pattern above. Start with the setting, followed by the sequence of events.
- Retell the story in PARAGRAPH form. Used by older readers, this is called a summary and can be used in other content areas also.
What does a good summary look like?
Younger readers
This story was retold to a parent from a young reader’s drawings. The numbers correspond to the pictures drawn as this student retold The Three Bears.
- Once upon a time there was a little cottage and there was 3 windows. There was really 4 but one of them went to the kitchen and there was 4 dots on each one cause that’s how you pull the window parts out.
- Three bears lived in that place and they went to get some honey. And there was a Papa Bear, Mama Bear and a Baby Bear. They went out to get some honey.
- Then this little girl came. She saw the little cottage and then there was dark clouds. And so she had to get into the cottage really fast.
- So she got into the cottage and found a table. She saw 3 bowls and 3 cups. She first tried the Papa Bear’s cereal – it was too hot, then the Mama Bear’s – it was too cold. Then she tried the Baby’ Bear’s – it was just right.
- Then she went upstairs and found 3 beds. She tried the Papa Bear’s – it was too hard, the Mama Bear’s was too soft. She tried the Baby Bear’s bed and
- it was just right - so she went to sleep.
- When the 3 bears came home
- they went into their rooms and checked their beds. The Papa Bear said "Somebody was sleeping in my bed." The Mama Bear said, "Somebody was sleeping in my bed." The Baby Bear said, "and she’s still there."
- Goldilocks jumped out of bed and ran downstairs as fast as she could and she didn’t’ know how to unlock it. She found that wood piece, picked it up, ran outside and peeked in the gate, shook it – it was locked.
- And then there was a policeman and he opened the gate for her and he walked her to her house.
-from Booktalk: Exciting Literature Experiences for Kids, Michelle O’Brien-Palmer
Older Readers: Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood is a classic fairy tale where good overcomes evil. The curtain opens on a little cottage surrounded by a thick wood. Little Red has been asked by her mom to deliver some goodies to her grandmother who lives on the other side of the big wood.
She has not gone far when she meets The Big Bad Wolf. He tries every trick in his little black book to lure her over to his place. After asking a million questions, he gets the information he needs and devises a plan.
He runs ahead to Little Red’s grandmother’s place. He eats the grandmother whole. Then he puts on her night clothes and climbs in her bed.
Soon Little Red shows up. She takes a hard look at her grandmother who is not really her grandmother at all. She asks the imposter grandmother a million questions about his facial features. Finally the disguised wolf jumps out of the bed and prepares to gobble her up.
In the nick of time, Little Red’s father who is a woodcutter arrives. He takes care of the Big Bad Wolf and frees the grandmother.
As with most fairy tales, there is a lesson to be learned. Don’t talk to strangers—especially if they have a very large nose and wear vintage clothing.
