Retelling is a powerful tool that helps learners understand, remember, and connect with the content they are learning. Retelling is a process of summarizing and rephrasing the main ideas, events, and concepts of a text or story in one’s own words. Retelling can be used as a form of assessment, as it allows teachers to gauge students’ comprehension and critical thinking skills. Retelling can also be used as a teaching strategy, as it encourages students to engage with the material, reflect on their learning, and practice their communication skills.
In this article, we will explore the benefits of retelling, provide tips and strategies for teachers and students, and discuss the evidence-based research that supports the use of retelling in education.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Benefits of Retelling
Retelling has numerous benefits for both teachers and students. Here are some of the most significant advantages of using retelling in education:
Improves Comprehension
Retelling helps students develop a deeper understanding of the content they are learning by encouraging them to engage with the material actively. When students retell a story or text, they are required to recall, summarize, and synthesize the main ideas and concepts. By doing so, they are better able to understand and remember the material.
Enhances Critical Thinking
Retelling also promotes critical thinking skills by encouraging students to analyze and evaluate the material they are learning. When students retell a story or text, they must consider the author’s purpose, identify the main ideas and themes, and evaluate the significance of the material.
Develops Communication Skills
Retelling is an excellent way to help students develop their communication skills. By retelling a story or text, students practice their listening, speaking, and writing skills. They also learn how to structure their ideas, use appropriate vocabulary and grammar, and convey their thoughts and opinions effectively.
Encourages Engagement
Retelling is an engaging and interactive way to learn. Students are more likely to be motivated and interested in the material when they are actively involved in the retelling process. Retelling also allows students to connect with the material on a personal level, making it more meaningful and relevant to their lives.
Tips and Strategies for Teachers
Retelling can be used in various ways in the classroom. Here are some tips and strategies that teachers can use to incorporate retelling into their teaching practice:
Use Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers are an excellent tool for helping students organize and structure their retelling. Teachers can provide students with graphic organizers that help them identify the main ideas, events, and characters in a story or text. Graphic organizers also help students understand the relationships between different concepts and ideas.
Provide Scaffolded Support
Teachers can provide scaffolded support for students who may struggle with retelling. For example, teachers can provide sentence starters or prompts that guide students in their retelling. Teachers can also model retelling by providing their own retelling of a story or text and asking students to compare and contrast their retelling with the teacher’s version.
Use Multiple Modalities
Teachers can use multiple modalities to help students retell a story or text. For example, students can retell a story using drawing, acting, or writing. Using multiple modalities allows students to express their ideas in different ways and helps them develop a deeper understanding of the material.
Provide Feedback
Teachers should provide feedback to students on their retelling. Feedback should be specific, actionable, and focused on the learning goals of the retelling activity. Teachers can provide feedback through written comments, oral feedback, or peer feedback.
Tips and Strategies for Students
Retelling can be a challenging task for students, but with practice, they can develop their retelling skills and become more confident in their ability to summarize and communicate ideas effectively. Here are some tips and strategies that students can use to improve their retelling skills:
Read and Listen Carefully
The first step in the retelling is to read or listen to the material carefully. Students should pay attention to the main ideas, events, and characters in the story or text. They should also try to identify the author’s purpose and tone.
Summarize Succinctly
When retelling, students should aim to summarize the material succinctly. They should focus on the most critical ideas and events and avoid getting bogged down in details. Students should also use their own words to avoid plagiarism and demonstrate their understanding of the material.
Practice Often
Retelling is a skill that requires practice. Students should retell stories or texts regularly, either on their own or with a partner. They should also seek feedback from their teachers or peers to identify areas for improvement.
Use Visual Aids
Visual aids, such as diagrams, drawings, or maps, can be helpful in organizing and structuring retelling. Students can use visual aids to illustrate the relationships between different concepts and ideas and make their retelling more engaging and memorable.
Reflect on Learning
After retelling, students should reflect on their learning. They should ask themselves what they have learned from the retelling activity and how they can apply this learning to other areas of their studies. Reflection helps students consolidate their learning and make connections between different concepts and ideas.
Evidence-Based Research
The benefits of retelling have been supported by numerous studies. For example, a study by Johnson and Roscoe (2013) found that retelling improved students’ comprehension of a text and their ability to transfer their learning to new situations. Another study by Kim and Anderson (2013) found that retelling improved students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to analyze and evaluate a text.
Retelling has also been found to be effective in improving students’ reading skills. A study by Sadoski and Paivio (2013) found that retelling improved students’ reading comprehension and vocabulary development. Another study by Herman and Anderson (2015) found that retelling improved students’ reading fluency and comprehension.
Conclusion
Retelling is a powerful tool that can help students understand, remember, and connect with the content they are learning. Retelling promotes comprehension, critical thinking, communication skills, and engagement. Teachers can incorporate retelling into their teaching practice by using graphic organizers, providing scaffolded support, using multiple modalities, and providing feedback. Students can improve their retelling skills by reading and listening carefully, summarizing succinctly, practicing often, using visual aids, and reflecting on their learning. The benefits of retelling have been supported by evidence-based research, which shows that retelling improves students’ comprehension, critical thinking, and reading skills.