A qualitative assessment of first graders' retelling of expository text

Abstract

For many years, literacy experts have assumed that young children were incapable of comprehending expository text. Recent research, however, suggests otherwise. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the extent to which 20 first graders were able to comprehend expository text as measured through an oral retelling of a children's information trade book. Twenty preservice elementary teachers read aloud the children's trade book, How Kittens Grow, to 20 first graders. After listening to the book, each child drew a picture based upon the book and then retold the information contained therein by using their drawing, the book itself, or their memory. Each retelling was audiotaped, transcribed and assigned a score from 1–5 as indicated by an adapted version of the Irwin & Mitchell (1983) Richness of Retelling Scale. Each paper was scored three times. Eighteen of the 20 children obtained scores of 3 or better on the scale, thus confirming Pappas’ (1991) findings that even young children are capable of comprehending expository text.