Tale Teller Teacher Guide Tale Teller
Teacher Facilitation Guide
Verbal Retelling Strategy
The 5-Finger Retell Strategy
Use the 5-finger method as a tactile and visual scaffold for students to organize their thoughts before speaking.
1
Thumb: Characters — Who was in the story?
2
Pointer: Setting — Where and when did it happen?
3
Middle: Beginning — What was the problem?
4
Ring: Middle — What were the main events?
5
Pinky: End — How was it fixed? (Resolution)
Verbal Prompting Tiers
Tier 1: Minimal Support
"Tell me the story of [Title] using your five fingers. Remember to use complete sentences."
Tier 2: Transitional Support
"What happened first? And then? Use transition words like 'Next' or 'After that'."
Tier 3: Maximum Support
"The characters were... [Pause for student]. They were at the... [Pause for student]."
Observational Rubric
Skill 1 2 3 Includes Elements Missing 2+ Missing 1 All 5 Logical Order Disjointed Mostly Seq. Clear Flow Complete Sentences Fragments Mixed Consist. Verbal Clarity Mumbled Audible Expressive
Implementation Tips
Record and Re-listen: Record the student's retell and listen back together to identify missing elements.Visual Cues: If a student gets stuck, point to the corresponding finger to nudge them toward the next element.Story Cards: Use the "Story Spinner" cards for rapid-fire practice in small groups."The Mistake" Game: Retell a story intentionally leaving out the characters or ending, and have students catch your "mistake." Tale Traveler Slides Tale Traveler
Story Retell
Adventure
Let's practice retelling stories together!
Characters
Setting
Events
The 5-Finger Retell Rule
👍
Characters
Who is in the story?
☝️
Setting
Where does it take place?
🖕
Beginning
What was the problem?
💍
Middle
What happened next?
👂
End
How did it finish?
Challenge: Use complete sentences for every finger!
Story 1
The Case of the Missing Key
"Lily was excited to enter her secret garden on a sunny Saturday morning. But when she reached for her silver key, it wasn't in her pocket! She searched the grass and looked under every rock, feeling very worried. Suddenly, her puppy Barnaby ran up with the shiny key in his mouth. Lily laughed and opened the gate with a big smile."
Retell It!
1. Who was the main character?
2. Where did the story happen?
3. What was Lily's problem?
4. How was the problem fixed?
🐕 🔑 🌿
Story 2
Commander Cooper's Countdown
"Commander Cooper sat in the cockpit of her rocket ship, ready to blast off from the Moon. Just as the countdown hit 'three,' the computer screen flickered and went dark! The engines wouldn't start. Cooper quickly toggled the backup switches and checked the battery levels. With a loud hum, the power returned just in time for 'one.' She zoomed into the stars, feeling relieved."
Talk it Out
Retell this story using your 5-finger checklist. Don't forget the resolution!
Power Words for Retelling
Beginning
First,
At the start,
In the beginning,
Middle
Next,
Then,
After that,
End
Finally,
At the end,
In the end,
"Good storytellers use these to connect their ideas!"
Your Retell Challenge
Choose a partner and retell your favorite movie or book story.
Can your partner find all 5 fingers in your retelling?
Be Expressive
Full Sentences
Right Order
Retell Roadmap Worksheet Retell Roadmap
Plan Your Verbal Adventure
Name:
Date:
My Retell Checklist
CHARACTERS (Who?)
SETTING (Where & When?)
1 BEGINNING (The Problem)
2 MIDDLE (Main Events)
3 END (Resolution)
Tale Traveler's Speaking Check
Try these words:
First, Next, Suddenly, Then, Finally, Because...
Did I use complete sentences?
Is my story in the right order?
Did I include all 5 fingers?
Story Spinner Cards Document Story Spinner Cards
Small Group Verbal Retelling Practice
CUT ALONG DASHED LINES
Card 01
The Brave Baker
"Ben the Baker was in his cozy kitchen on a chilly morning. He was making a giant cake for the King, but he ran out of sugar! Ben rushed to the village store just before it closed. He bought the last bag of sugar and finished the cake in time. The King said it was the best cake ever!"
👨🍳🍰🏰
Use 5-Finger Retell
Card 02
Luna's Lost Telescope
"Luna went to the Dark Forest at night to see the stars. She set up her tripod, but her telescope was missing! She realized she left it in her bedroom. Luna hiked all the way back home, grabbed her telescope, and returned to the forest. Finally, she saw the glowing rings of Saturn through the lens."
👧🔭🌲
Use 5-Finger Retell
Card 03
Finny's New Friend
"Finny the Fish lived in a bright coral reef. He wanted to play hide-and-seek, but he couldn't find anyone to play with. Finny felt lonely as he swam near a giant rock. Suddenly, a shy octopus popped out and asked to join him. They spent the whole afternoon hiding in the seaweed together and became best friends."
🐠🐙🌊
Use 5-Finger Retell
Card 04
The Flat Tire
"Sam was riding his bike to the park for a soccer game. Suddenly, his back tire went 'pop' and became flat! Sam didn't want to be late, so he tried to fix it with tape, but it didn't work. Luckily, his neighbor Mr. Jones saw him and used a real pump to fix the tire. Sam made it to the park just as the game started."
🚲⚽🌳
Use 5-Finger Retell
Teacher Tip: Cut these cards out and laminate them. Have students pull a card from a suitcase or jar to gamify the retelling practice. For added difficulty, have the "listener" check off the story elements as the "speaker" tells the story.
