Story Retelling Rubric

Designed to accompany Neuhaus's retelling resources, this rubric gives educators a clear, consistent way to evaluate how fully and accurately a student retells a story. Rather than a simple right-or-wrong check, it captures the elements that signal real comprehension—identifying characters and setting, recounting events in order, naming the problem and resolution, and retelling with enough detail and coherence to show the story was understood.

Educators can use the rubric to:

• Assess retellings against consistent, observable criteria
• Pinpoint which elements of comprehension a student has mastered and which need support
• Track growth in oral language and retelling skills over time
• Guide instruction and inform conversations with families and support teams

Whether used as a formative check during instruction or to document progress over a term, the rubric brings clarity and consistency to an otherwise subjective task—so every educator scores retellings the same way.