Read and Retell - Story Time Comes Alive

By: Chine Okeke

Date: June 2021

For: Midway ISD Education Foundation

The true measure of whether knowledge is retained is the ability to recall it. With this grant awarded by the Midway ISD Education Foundation, students are taking their reading comprehension skills to the next level.

The “Read and Retell - Story Comes Alive” grant incorporated a story retelling center within the library center of Spring Valley Elementary. The students can find the book being read in class and will be able to retell the story to a friend, themself, or to one of their teachers. They can choose to do this with a storytelling glove, a lapboard, or flannel boards which all have Velcro puppets that go along with the book. 

According to Leslie Chapman, the grant author, the benefit of this program is the hands-on approach kids have to listen to the stories and finding ways to retell them in a fun and creative way.

“It is so important at this age for the children to be able to remember and retell a story they just heard,” said Chapman.

The above-mentioned tools are designed to assist the kids in retelling their favourite stories. The storytelling gloves help with acting out different scenes on their hands. The lapboard is the perfect size to use individually or in a small group. The other two boards would be beneficial to the whole class. 

“The puppets would help with possible vocabulary that they didn’t understand in the story, '' Chapman said. “This will allow the students to get comfortable in [remembering] skills of the story and talking to a group, a friend, or their teachers as they are retelling their version of the story.” 

Another benefit is that the kids are able to choose how they would like to express themselves. They can choose to work individually or with a partner to help them order the story. They are also able to practice public speaking as they would be retelling their story to a fellow classmate, the entire class, or their teachers.

The program appeals to the students to get involved and also to be creative. Students will be able to collaborate with their peers while creating visual representations of the stories they just read. Bringing the story alive will help them retain information and improve their critical thinking skills. They can also extend their learning by creating stories of their own.

“The kids loved being in charge of the story and retelling it to me or to their classmates,” Chapman said. “They truly enjoyed manipulating the puppets as they retold the story, sometimes adding their own unique touches.”

This grant was named in honor of BC Materials Ready Mix Concrete to recognize their long-time support, but was made possible by all Midway Education Foundation donors. For more information about the Education Foundation and its programs, you can visit www.midwayisd.org/foundation.