What advantage do retelling stories provide to children?

Retelling stories offers children the opportunity to deepen their comprehension of the narrative, including key elements such as characters, their motivations, and the challenges they face, as well as the resolutions to those challenges. This process encourages children to engage with the text on a more meaningful level, enhancing their understanding of storytelling mechanics, such as plot structure and character development.

As they retell stories, children practice critical thinking by analyzing the characters’ actions and the story's conflict and resolution. This understanding is foundational for literacy development, as they learn not only about the content of the story but also about narrative structure, which is essential for their own reading and writing skills.

Additionally, when children articulate their thoughts during a retelling, it helps them organize their ideas and develop language skills, further contributing to their overall literacy development. This makes retelling an effective tool for fostering a deeper comprehension of texts, which is crucial in the emergent literacy stage.