5 Finger Retell – It’s As Easy As 1,2,3,4,5

If you are teaching your little learners about the different elements of a good retell, then this set of posters that uses a hand to help students remember the five main features is what you need! The main elements included in the 5 finger retell are:

1. Setting – Where and when the story takes place.
2. Characters – The person or people, animals, and things in a story.
3. Problem – What goes wrong in the story, which the character has to fix or solve?
4. Events – The order of the events. What happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the story?
5. Solution – How the character fixes or solves what went wrong in the story.

This set of posters includes one main poster displaying a hand with the five primary elements, and then each element is clearly explained with examples on the following five posters. An individual student guide is also included, which is perfect for your students to stick in their books or just to have handy at their desk to refer to as needed.

Why the 5 Finger Retell is Perfect!

The 5 finger retell is a simple and memorable framework that helps students organise their thoughts about a story. It breaks down the story into manageable components for little learners. This strategy also promises active reading and comprehension; by summarising key elements, students are encouraged to think critically about the story’s structure and content. The 5 finger retell is also a fantastic tool for developing oral communication skills as students learn to articulate the story’s key points in a structured way.

Download and Retell Today!

This set of posters is available to download as a PDF. It is strongly advised that you print these posters on thick card or laminate to ensure the durability of this resource.

This resource was created by Samantha Rose, a Teach Starter collaborator.