Tell It Your Way: Building Literacy Through Story and Play (2nd grade)

Tell It Your Way: Building Literacy Through Story and Play (2nd grade)

This five-day residency invites students to explore the art of storytelling through oral performance, music, movement, illustration, discussion, and dramatic play. Each day highlights a different storytelling element, giving students multiple, engaging pathways into literacy learning.

Students listen to and actively participate in traditional folktales as they examine characters and plot, explore themes and morals, and practice retelling stories using their own voices and creative ideas. Activities are developmentally appropriate, highly engaging, and designed to support diverse learning styles, including auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners.

Throughout the residency, students build comprehension, sequencing, vocabulary, speaking and listening skills, and creative expression. The program culminates with students confidently retelling stories using repetition, movement, and essential storytelling techniques.


SC College- and Career-Ready ELA Standards Alignment (Grade 2)

  1. RL-2.2 – Recount stories and determine the central message, lesson, or moral
    Students listen to, discuss, and retell folktales, identifying key events and the lesson or moral.

  2. RL-2.5 – Describe the overall structure of a story
    Students identify story structure by recognizing the beginning, middle, and end.

  3. RL-2.3 – Describe how characters respond to major events and challenges
    Students explore character traits, motivations, and responses through discussion and dramatic play.

  4. SL-2.4 – Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts, relevant details, and clear speaking
    Students practice oral storytelling using accurate sequence, expressive voice, and relevant details.

    This residency strengthens students’ ability to recount folktales, understand story structure, analyze characters, and retell stories orally through interactive, arts-integrated learning experiences aligned with South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Standards for Grade 2.