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Retell with the Key Details is a free printable Grade 1 English worksheet on retelling a story by putting its key events in order, aligned to Common Core standard RL.1.2. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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One paper per student

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All 25 sets ask different questions.

Retell with the Key Details

RL.1.2

NameDate

Number the boxes to show the right order.

1.Number these to show what happens in "The New Girl."
  • By the end of the day they were friends.
  • She sat alone at lunch.
  • A new girl came to class.
  • Raj asked her to play tag.
  • They ran around the field together.
2.Number these to show what happens in "The Shoemaker and the Elves."
  • In the morning the shoemaker found the shoes.
  • Two elves came in the night.
  • A shoemaker cut out leather and went to bed.
  • He made the elves tiny coats to say thank you.
  • They sewed the leather into shoes.

LessonPrint · RL.1.2 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Retell with the Key Details

Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Correct order: 3, 2, 4, 5, 1
  2. 2.Correct order: 3, 2, 5, 1, 4

Questions about Retell with the Key Details

What does the Retell with the Key Details worksheet cover?

It practices retelling a story by putting its key events in order — 2 questions for Grade 1, all on Common Core RL.1.2: Retell a story with its key parts, and say what it was trying to teach. The instruction to students is “Number the boxes to show the right order”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.

Which Common Core standard does Retell with the Key Details practice?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2 — RL.1.2, under Reading: Literature for Grade 1. The published standard reads: “Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.

What age or grade is this worksheet for?

Retell with the Key Details is written for Grade 1, typically ages 6-7. It is one of the sheets on RL.1.2, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.

Does Retell with the Key Details come with an answer key?

Yes. All 2 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.

How many different versions of Retell with the Key Details can I print?

25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.

Is Retell with the Key Details free to print and photocopy?

Yes. Retell with the Key Details, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.

Is there a lesson plan to teach RL.1.2?

Yes — “Retelling, and What the Story Teaches” is a 40-minute Grade 1 plan for RL.1.2, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Retell with the Key Details is the practice that follows it.

More practice for RL.1.2

Retell a story with its key parts, and say what it was trying to teach.

Teaching this next? Retelling, and What the Story Teaches is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 1 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RL.1.2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.