SWBST RETELLING: During & After
SWBST RETELLING: During & After
Fictional reading strategies differ from Non-fictional reading strategies. Fiction text has a standard format to include Story Elements:
Characters = the people, animals, & things participating in the story;
Setting = the where and when of the story;
Plot = the sequence of events in the story;
Point of View = who is telling the story;
Theme = the general message or main idea of the story.
For a detailed description of Story Elements, please see Story Elements Fiction.
SWBST = Somebody / Wanted / But / So / Then
DURING reading a fictional story, have the child(ren) stop after a pre-determined amount of reading, and use the following SWBST format for a consolidated retelling:
SOMEBODY - Who is the main character?
WANTED - What does the main character want?
BUT - What is the problem?
SO - How does the character try to solve the problem?
THEN - How does the story or section end?
The stopping and retelling of the text, aides in comprehension allowing the brain to “digest” what has been read, to interact with the written word, and to build personal connections, all in enhancing the reader’s understanding. Fiction text is designed with story elements to help the reader follow a sequence of events.
AFTER reading a fictional story, have the child(ren) retell the story using the above SWBST format for a consolidated retelling. By retelling stories, readers learn how to organize and describe events, enhancing reading comprehension. Retelling stories also supports ELLs an opportunity to analyze the written text and supports oral language skills needed to deepen vocabulary development (Schienkman, 2004).