Appendix F – The four R’s of reading

This appendix refers to the workshop module “The four Rs of reading” on page 25 of this guide.

After you have read with a student, always discuss what you have read together. This will help the student to understand and think critically about the text.

Your discussion should include

Retelling

• What were the sequence of events, the main ideas and the characters of the story?
• What are the 5 ‘Ws’ – who, what, where, when and why.

Reflecting

• Why was a particular decision made in the story?
• Who was the true villain?
• Let’s interpret the text together.

Relating

• How do the information or the characters in the story relate to you or to the student?
• Are these events similar to your ideas or experiences?

Rewriting

• How could the story be changed?
• What might happen next?
• How could the story have been written more clearly?

Adapted from Retelling, Relating and Reflecting: Beyond the 3 Rs by Susan Schwartz & Maxine Bone