VELS Level 3 – 6 Read and Retell

Read and Retell is a powerful assessment tool for students. A Retell is an excellent holistic way to help learners gain control of the various genres they are reading and a powerful technique for assessing students' comprehension of texts and evaluating their speaking and listening.

It is based on Making a Difference A literacy development program for middle years students (Department of Education and Training, Victoria 2004), and can be repeated over a period of time and cover a range of text types, contexts, purposes and audiences. Read and retell assessment provides information on a student's:

• comprehension of texts
• sequencing of ideas/information
• confident speaking
• active listening.

Using the assessment tool

• Students select or are provided with a text to read and then retell what they have read.
• Students listen to a text and retell what they have heard.

What to look for

• increased vocabulary: both in quantity of words known and used, and refinement of choices
• increased length of text that the student can retell coherently
• increased length of retelling provided by the student
• active listening behaviour and appropriate participation.

Professional Learning

Read and Retell record sheet (Word - 28Kb)

• Download this PDF to support the following Read and Retell activity.
• Think of a student whose comprehension of texts and speaking and listening you want to find out more about. Use Read and Retell with this student and complete the Read and Retell record sheet.
• Reflect on what you have learnt about the student and identify the next phase of their learning.
• Which students could you use this assessment with next?