Listening to Stories and Retelling: Foundation Study Guide
Hearing and talking about stories builds vocabulary and understanding long before children can read independently.
Reading aloud to a child is one of the best things a family can do. As they listen, children learn new words, hear how sentences work and practise imagining what is happening. Stopping now and then to ask 'What do you think will happen?' keeps them thinking.
Foundation students learn that stories have characters (who), a setting (where and when), a problem and a solution. They learn to retell a story using words like first, next, then and finally.
Parts of a story
| Part | Question to ask | Example from 'The Three Little Pigs' |
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Who is in the story? | Three pigs and a wolf |
| Setting | Where does it happen? | A forest |
| Problem | What goes wrong? | The wolf blows down the houses |
| Solution | How is it fixed? | The brick house keeps the pigs safe |
Retelling in order
Use picture cards or a drawing in three boxes: beginning, middle, end. Practice sequence words: first, next, then, last. Children can also act out the story with puppets, which develops memory and speaking.
What happens first?
First…, then…, in the end…
Name who did what.
Was the problem solved?
Talking about books
Ask open questions: 'How do you think she felt?' 'What would you do?' 'Which part did you like best?' There are no wrong answers to opinion questions, and children learn to give reasons using 'because'. Australian picture books by local authors help children see their own world in stories.
Worked examples and common mistakes
Retell: 'First the little red hen planted wheat. Then she cut it and made bread. Finally she ate the bread, and her friends who did not help had none.' Common mistakes: retelling every detail with 'and then… and then…', mixing up the order, or leaving out the problem. Prompt with 'What was the big problem?' to focus the retelling.
Check your understanding: model answers
1. Your retelling should have a beginning, a middle and an end in order. 2. Name the character and a place, such as a boy on a farm. 3. A good answer uses 'because', for example 'She felt sad because her friend moved away.'
✨ Key Takeaways
- Stories have characters, a setting, a problem and a solution.
- Retell with first, next, then and finally.
- Talk about feelings and opinions with 'because'.
- Reading aloud builds vocabulary.
💬 Questions for Discussion & Reflection
- Retell your favourite story in three parts.
- Who is the main character, and where does the story happen?
- How did a character feel? What made you think so?