Our guest blogger today is Mrs. Naufal, and she’s been kind enough to share her insight with us about three important communication skills: learning to retell, learning to relate, and learning to reflect!
“Retell, relate, and reflect” are oral and written responses that showcase various levels of communication and thinking ability. Each step requires more experience than the previous step. When students retell, they are able to discuss or write an original story using their own vocabulary. When students relate to the original story, they are able to make personal connections. Finally, being able to reflect on the meaning of the story engages students in the ability to infer what the story is about (the heart of the message) and predict any consequences or future implications as a result.
Students have been accustomed to retelling texts and relating texts to their own personal experiences. I have found that when students are asked to reflect upon their experiences or responses, there is generally a pause. I have worked diligently on building these reading strategies in my classroom. I often begin with a graphic organizer, such as a train, to assist in retelling a story. In order to teach retelling, it must be understood. What is retelling and its purpose?
Retelling
Retelling will give you insight into a child’s comprehension process of a text. Retelling can help you determine:
- How much or what a student remembers
- What a student considers to be important details
- How a student sequences information
- How a student organizes information
This train graphic organizer assists students in retelling a story. I have also used this retelling bookmark when conducting guided reading sessions. It’s available as a free printable.
Relating
Relating will also give you insight into a student’s comprehension process of a text. Relating can help you determine:
- How a student connects to a text
- If a student can recall a personal experience that connects to the present text
Here’s a sample of a relating task card based on the characters. Students learn to relate to the text based on separate categories: characters, setting, problem and solution, and order of events.
Here are some relating prompts:
- This reminds me of…
- I remember (when)…
- This is like…
- This sounds like…
- This makes me think of…
- I can identify with this…
Reflecting
Reflecting will give you insight into a text. Reflecting can help you determine:
- If a student can draw conclusions about a text
- If a student can make future predictions or inferences
Reflecting is often the most difficult task. However, breaking down the elements of a story assists in the reflection process.
Here are some reflection prompts:
- I wonder if….
- I believe that…
- I realize that…
- I know that…
- My predictions are…
- I understand…
Retelling, relating and reflecting are all important steps in the reading process. Better responses are created once all students have grasped these elements.
My name is Mrs. Naufal, and I have been a classroom teacher for over 20 years. My experience includes working with children and adults. Working on building answers has become a goal. I hope using these retelling, relating, and reflecting prompts will assist you in your classroom.
The train graphic organizer is adorable. I think my son will appreciate that touch.
I love the simplicity of the 3 R's! I feel it will really help my students and I focus during our reading time!
I really like the reflecting component. I use retelling and relating a lot. I will now focus on emphasizing relating as well. Thank you!