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Retell with the Key Details is a free printable Grade 1 English worksheet on retelling a story without losing what matters, 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 pupils 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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All 25 sets ask different questions.

Retell with the Key Details

RL.1.2

NameDate

Read the story, then answer the questions.

1.Read the text, then answer the questions.

The Last Lap

Dee was fast. She won every race at sports day, and she knew it. In the relay, she ran the last lap. Her team was behind. Dee ran so hard that her chest burned, but the other runner crossed the line first. Dee sat on the grass. Her team came and sat with her. "You made up ten metres," said Ali. Dee had not thought about that. She had only thought about losing.

  1. 1. How does the ending change the story?
  2. 2. Retell the story in your own words.
2.Read the text, then answer the questions.

The Blue Door

At the end of the lane stood a house with a blue door. Nobody had lived there for years. The grass grew as high as Tomas. One Saturday a van pulled up. A woman got out with a ladder and a tin of paint. By teatime the blue door was bright yellow. Tomas waved. The woman waved back. "I'm Nita," she called. "Come and see the garden when I've cut it."

  1. 1. Retell the story in your own words.
  2. 2. How does the beginning of this story set it up?

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. 1.1. It turns a loss into something Dee can be proud of. 2. Dee ran the last lap of the relay from behind, did not win, and her team pointed out that she had made up ten metres.
  2. 2.1. An empty house at the end of the lane got a new owner, Nita, who painted the blue door yellow and waved to Tomas. 2. It shows the house empty and overgrown, so the change is a surprise.

Questions about Retell with the Key Details

What does the Retell with the Key Details worksheet cover?

It practises retelling a story without losing what matters — 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 pupils is “Read the story, then answer the questions”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.

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

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2 — RL.1.2, in the Reading: Literature domain 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 pupil working at that standard — including older pupils 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 pupil, 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.