Retelling and Reader's Theater FREEBIE!!

The last couple of weeks we have been focusing in on what a good retelling looks and sounds like.  As a K team we wanted to create a way to help the kiddos see this. A colleague of mine created some great bookmarks that the kiddos use to help them remember what "retelling" should include and with her permission we are giving them to you for FREE! So Thanks R.G.! If you are wondering what the characters are, the idea for them come from another colleague of ours Andrea Knight. (Yay for teamwork!). They are made to help K kiddos remember the important parts of retelling.  You can get more info about those characters over at her blog "Creating Readers and Writers". She also has a TpT store. You can click Questioning Lessons for Younger Kiddos to get more info on using her characters in your classroom! (This is my first attempt at using google docs so bare with me! IF you can't get it, just leave a comment and I will work on getting it to you!)

Okay, so click Retelling Bookmarks to download this freebie from google docs.  Here is a quick look at them.

After learning how to use these awesome retelling bookmarks we gradually try retelling on our own.  It is a wonderful progression to watch happen as the kiddos start to understand the stories they are reading simply by talking about who, what, where, how, and why things happened in their story.  The conversations they are having with their partners are truly remarkable.  After we move through retelling I introduce the concept of Reader's theater.  This week was our first try.  I believe the kiddos did FABULOUS! (Especially since I was out with that nasty infection going around for half the time! Ugh!)  I use the book You Noisy Monkey by Michael Coleman.  We read the story, then retell the story, then make masks and read/practice the reader's theater, then put on a show.  It is amazing to watch the characters from his story come to life through the eyes of my kinders!  (We also invite our parents in watch the show and by this time they have their parts down so well they do not even need the reader's theater booklets.) Here are a few cute picks of our masks.

You can get the lesson to use with the book by clicking Noisy Monkey Retelling and Reader's Theater

Now on to the coolest thing ever and its FREE!! I found an ap for the IPad/Ipod that allows the kiddos to create their own characters or choose some, create their own settings or choose some, and (here is the best part.......wait for it.......) they can record their own story with a beginning, middle, end, happy music, sad music, etc.  It walks them through the whole process!  Then they can play their story over and over.  It is perfect for a center time. (or if you are lucky enough to have enough ipads for your classroom) it is perfect for a lesson!  It is called Toontastic.  If you don't have it....get it! The kiddos love using it! You can click Toontastic to download it from the itunes store!

What are some ways you teach retelling or readers theater in your classroom?  Have you found much technology to support it?

Have a fabulous week!