Standard 2: Reading and Writing Process

Students will use a variety of recursive reading and writing processes.

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

• Students will retell or reenact a familiar story, putting key details in sequential order.
• Students will develop the ability to identify the main topic of a text.

• Teachers read or tell a familiar story to the class.

• Teachers lead students in putting the story in chronological order using transitional words (beginning, middle, end).
• Teachers model retelling stories by doing  a picture walk using transitional words, first, next, then, last, etc.
• Teachers model how to act out a portion of the story (with or without props).
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to restate or reenact the story, either orally or through illustrations or writing.
• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback about the order of events.
• Teachers explain and discuss how to find the main idea in text.
• Teachers model reading a text and identifying the main idea.
• Teachers read text tp students and question students about the main idea. Example:  What is this story mostly about?
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to  identify the main idea of a read aloud or an independently read text.
• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback as students identify the main idea in a text.

Supporting Resources 

Teacher Insights 

Main Idea Lessons and Activities (website)              

Give Me Five Retell Strategy (video)

Main Idea & Supporting Details Activities (pdf)                                        

Story Elements:  Events video (video)

Character & Sequencing Activities(pdf) 

• Reenact is to act out the events of a text.

• Retell is to recall the content of what was read or heard.

• The main idea is the central thought or premise of a reading passage.

• Puppets, masks, retell cards, or other props should be provided to aid students in acting out or retelling stories.

• Students need opportunities to act out stories with props while listening to text read aloud.  

• Children may need guidance and support when they retell events out of sequence or add/delete major events.

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.