Follow the Yellow Brick Road Retelling

I’m back today to report to you that I DID NOT have to suck it up and eat the larva for snack today.  And…PTL…I remembered my math & literacy stations AND I got a full 7 hours sleep…minus 30 minutes here and there thanks to a cover hogging husband :)  Yes friends, today was MUCH better than yesterday…well, except for having to control the LOUDNESS that is my classroom while our 4th graders took the STARR test today.  Bless their hearts.

This week we’re working on retelling.  I feel like EVERY teacher does a pretty stinkin’ great job at driving home this concept.  I’m pretty sure we’re constantly asking questions before/during/after reading and encouraging to summarize stories in their own words.  Did y’all see Kelli’s post last night about Retelling Ropes??  Am I the ONLY teacher who’s NEVER heard of this?!?!?  I absolutely LOVED this idea!!!!!

image via Kelli @ Castles & Crayons

GENIUS idea.  Absolutely GENIUS!!! 

I saw her precious idea late last night while I was promising myself I’d get to bed early.  HA.  Clearly, I didn’t have enough time to head to the Lob and pick up my goodies to make my own retelling rope…which I swear I’m doing AS SOON as I leave school tomorrow…so I decided to play a little game of “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” Retelling with my kids instead. 

 

We read the story, Bear’s Loose Tooth by Karma Wilson, and I had the kids follow the “yellow brick road” to retell the story in their own words.  Ohmiword.  They LOVED it.  A few of my girls were even singing the song in between rounds of retelling. 

As a whole group, we worked to “retell” the story together.

I used stickies so that we can reuse our chart throughout the week!  When we finished adding to our chart, I had the kids retell the story in their own words using this recording sheet….

{click on the pic for your copy}

I left the yellow brick road out all day so that the kids would be able to practice retelling stories after reading to self/someone.  They were slightly *obsessed*.  I went ahead and hung up the yellow brick road at the end of the day so that we could use this visual as we continue practice our retelling skills. 

I can’t wait to make Kelli’s Retelling Rope to hang up, too!  The kids will LOVE it!

I went ahead and made these Retelling Anchor Charts for the kids.  I’m going to run off a few copies, laminate them, and leave them in the reading center for the kids to use after they read.  I also included a little mini copy…a desk version of the charts.  I think I’m going to put these in the reading center also and let the kids use counters to “walk” on the yellow brick road as they retell the story as an option, too. 

{Click on the pic for your download.}

If you’re looking for some more Wizard of Oz themed units, check out Abby’s Wizard of Oz Math & Literacy Unit and Kelly & Diane’s Wonderful Wizard of Oz Math & Literacy Centers.  They are BOTH to-die-for!!!  Can’t wait to put them to use in a few short weeks!!