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PlayOwl

English · Grade 1

Retell and Compare Stories

Children read two original stories written with the spellings they know, The Best Hat and Fred and the Beans. They retell each story with key details, describe how characters feel and why, work out each story's central message, and compare the two main characters' experiences, finishing with a short written comparison.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 80 minutes
  • Story check: 7 questions
  • Ways to answer: choose an answer, highlight a text, match pairs, put in order, sort into groups and write a short answer
See plans Included with Family, Teacher and School plans. Open in PlayOwl

What learners will discover

  • Retell a story in order with key details about characters, setting and events.
  • Work out the central message or lesson of a story and point to details that show it.
  • Describe a character's feelings and actions at different points in a story, using key details.
  • Compare and contrast the experiences of characters in two stories.

Lessons

  1. Retell The Best Hat 4 steps2 practiceabout 20 min
  2. How do characters feel? 4 steps2 practiceabout 18 min
  3. The central message 4 steps2 practiceabout 20 min
  4. Compare two stories 4 steps2 practiceabout 22 min
  5. Story check 7 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Memory LanternsFlip glowing lanterns to find pairs that belong together.
  • Sound GardenListen closely and grow the garden: find the word that starts, rhymes or claps just right.
  • Word WorkshopBuild the word for each picture, one sound at a time.

More 1st grade reading

Guides for grown-ups