Retelling Stories in Order

Think about telling a friend how to make a sandwich. If you say "eat it" before you say "put the bread down," your friend will be confused! Stories work the same way. Every story has an order. If you tell the parts out of order, your listener will not understand what happened.

A story has three main parts: the beginning, the middle, and the end. Telling these parts in order helps your listener follow along and enjoy the story just like you did.

The beginning is the very first part of the story. This is where you meet the characters and find out the setting, which is where the story happens. For example, in the story of the Three Little Pigs, the beginning tells you there are three pigs who each want to build a house.

When you retell a story, start here. You can use the words "First" or "One day" to begin.

The middle is the biggest part of the story. This is where something happens, often a problem. In the Three Little Pigs, the middle is when the wolf comes and blows down the straw house and the stick house.

When you retell the middle, use words like "Then" or "Next" to show that time is passing and new events are happening.

The end is the last part of the story. This is where the problem gets solved and the story wraps up. In the Three Little Pigs, the end is when all three pigs are safe inside the brick house and the wolf cannot get in.

When you retell the end, use words like "Finally" or "Last" and then you can say "The End."

A good retelling does more than just say "beginning, middle, end." It includes key details, which are the important facts you need to understand the story. Key details answer questions like who is in the story, where it happens, and what problem happens.

For example, do not just say "A pig built a house." Instead, say "The first little pig built a house made of straw, and the wolf blew it down." That extra detail helps your listener really picture the story.

Pick a story you know well, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Ask yourself three questions:

1. What happened first? Goldilocks found a house in the woods with no one home.

2. What happened next? She tasted the porridge, sat in the chairs, and slept in the beds.

3. What happened last? The bears came home, Goldilocks woke up, and she ran away.

Say all three parts out loud in order, using the words first, next, and last. That is a complete retelling!

Retell: To tell a story again in your own words after hearing or reading it.

Order: The correct way events happen, one after another.

Beginning: The first part of a story, where characters and setting are introduced.

Middle: The part of a story where the main events or problem happen.

End: The last part of a story, where the problem is solved.

Key details: The important facts in a story that help it make sense.

Sequence: The order in which things happen, like first, next, and last.

Related lessons

• Retelling Familiar Stories