Children will begin learning to read and discuss a book in their guided reading lessons at school. They will be encouraged to discuss the story with friends, family and the teacher. When discussing a story we will be teaching the student to include what happened in the story, who were the characters in the story, where and when the story occurred as well as try to make some kind of connection to the story.

However, when it comes to formal assessments, we will not be requiring children to retell a story independently until they reach a level 7. This will give the student lots of opportunities to learn about what is important to tell when retelling a story and many, many chances to practice before being held accountable for the skill.

We strongly encourage parents to discuss stories that have been read to the student as well as stories they read on their own for practice in the skill of retelling. Having a discussion about what was interesting or exciting about the book, etc. is a great way to get them excited and willing to talk about it. The key here is to DISCUSS it together. Don't drill them. Have fun with it. Foster the love of reading!

Happy Reading!!