RL.K.2: Retell Familiar Stories
Also written as CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.2 · Cluster: Key Ideas and Details.
The Official Wording
With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.
Common Core State Standards, Kindergarten, Reading: Literature · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026
What RL.K.2 Means in Plain English
Kindergartners retell a story they have heard a few times, in their own words and in order, keeping the parts that matter. For The Three Little Pigs that means all three houses and the wolf at each door, not only the ending.
Familiar is the key word: a story needs several readings before children can retell it, and picture cards, puppets or first-next-last fingers carry the order. In 1st grade the retelling adds the story’s lesson, like slow and steady wins the race (RL.1.2).
RL.K.2 I Can Statements
- I can retell a story I have heard many times.
- I can tell what happened first, next and last.
- I can keep the important parts in my retelling.
RL.K.2 Worked Example
A four-line story read aloud a few times, then two retellings of it.
Nell the mouse wanted the cheese on the top shelf.First she stood on a spoon. Too short!Next she stood on a cup. Too wobbly!Last she climbed a stack of books, and the cheese was hers.
Common Mistakes with RL.K.2
Jumping straight to the ending
“She got the cheese.”
Try this: Hold up three fingers and touch one per part: first, next, last. Ask what goes on each finger before retelling.
Adding things that never happened
“And then a cat chased her and she ate pizza.”
Try this: Retell with the book’s pictures in hand, and ask “Did that happen in the story?” when a new part appears.
Mixing up the order
“She stood on the cup, then the books, then the spoon.”
Try this: Give out three picture cards from the story and let the child lay them left to right before saying a word.
Where RL.K.2 Fits
Practice RL.K.2
Quick Check
- What did Nell want?
- What did Nell stand on first, and what went wrong?
- Retell the story in three parts.