Important Parts of the Story Worksheet
This Important Parts of the Story Worksheet gives 1st Grade students four labelled boxes, so every child names the characters, the setting, the big event, and the ending of any book they read.
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About this resource
Description
Naming the Important Parts of a Story
Every story a first grader meets has the same working parts: somebody it is about, somewhere it happens, something big that happens, and a way it all finishes. This Important Parts of the Story Worksheet asks a child to name those four parts for whatever book they just read or listened to, which is the retelling standard in plain language. A reader who can name the characters, the setting, the big event, and the ending has understood the story, not just decoded the words on the page.
The page works with any book, so it never goes stale. A child writes the book title on the line at the top, then fills four labelled boxes: Who is the story about, Where is the setting, What is the big event, and What is the ending. Each box holds two full-width writing lines spaced for first grade handwriting, so a short answer and a longer one both fit comfortably. Use it after a read aloud, after independent reading, or as the written half of a guided reading group.
What Is Included
- One printable page that works with any story or picture book
- A book title line across the top of the page
- Four labelled boxes: characters, setting, the big event, and the ending
- Two ruled writing lines in every box, spaced for first grade
- A print ready PDF that needs no prep beyond pressing print
Three Reasons This Helps Kids
- It turns retelling into four small jobs. Asked to retell a whole story, a young reader freezes; asked who it is about, they answer right away.
- It builds the vocabulary of reading. Characters, setting, event, and ending are the words every later reading lesson is going to use.
- It shows comprehension in writing. A teacher can see at a glance which part of the story a child missed and reread just that part.
Ideas for Teachers and Parents
- Fill the first box of the Important Parts of the Story Worksheet together as a class, then let students finish the other three on their own.
- Keep a stack of this story elements graphic organizer beside the classroom library for finished books.
- Send one home with a library book so families can talk about the story at the table.
- Compare two finished pages about the same book and talk about why the big event differs.
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