Read the story. Circle the sentence that tells the story best.
Read this first
The Lost Mitten
On a snowy Monday morning, Ben walked to school. He dropped his red mitten on the playground. His hands were very cold, so he searched everywhere. At last his friend Mia found the mitten by the swings and gave it back.
1.
The Lost Mitten
Ben lost his mitten and went all the way home without it.
Ben lost his mitten at school, and Mia found it for him.
Ben walked to school on a snowy morning.
The Science Fair
On Friday afternoon, Eli's class held a science fair in the school gym. Eli built a paper volcano. The class wanted to show how lava flows, so he poured in vinegar and baking soda. Foam spilled down the sides and everyone cheered.
2.
The Science Fair
Eli's class held a science fair on Friday.
Eli's volcano did not work at the science fair, and the class left.
Eli's volcano erupted at the science fair and the class cheered.
Bus Trouble
Early on a cold morning, Zoe rode the bus on a country road. A sharp nail was in the road, and the bus got a flat tire. The driver changed the tire while Zoe and the other children sang songs.
3.
Bus Trouble
A nail gave the bus a flat tire, and the driver fixed it.
Zoe rode the bus on a cold morning.
The bus stopped and all the children had to walk to school.
To retell a story is to tell what happened in your own words, in order and with the important parts. A good retelling is short, and it names the main character, what happened and how it ended. A weak retelling tells only one small detail, such as where the story began, or it gets the ending wrong. Second graders practice retelling because it shows whether they understood the story as a whole and not just a few words.
This worksheet prints three short stories, one at a time. After each story there are three sentences, and the child circles the sentence that retells the whole story best. One sentence tells only a detail, one has a wrong ending and one gives the main events. Ask your child to retell the story aloud first and then to find the sentence that sounds most like their retelling.
What your child will learn
Tell what happened in a story in order
Tell a retelling from a single detail
Check the ending against the story
Common Core standard: RL.2.2
Worked example
Story: Leo's kite gets stuck in a tree and his dad frees it with a pole. The best retelling is Leo's kite got stuck in a tree, and his dad freed it with a pole, because it tells the problem and how it ended.
Common mistake
Choosing a sentence that is true but tells only one detail, such as where the story began.
Helpful hint
Which sentence tells the whole story, from the problem to the ending?
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