retell literacy center activity - There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

One of my favorite activities for kindergarten is building in retelling stories into our literacy center time. We have active literacy centers in our classroom like the retell center. This is how I created a 'There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly' retell activity to go in our retell center as an option for my kindergarten students. It was a combination of drawing and collecting! My kinders get to choose the book(s) they want to retell while they are at this literacy center. They read, they act, they use lots of great vocabulary and are developing fantastic reading habits all while continuing to build their love of reading.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Retell (Literacy Center Activity)

It's one of my favorite literacy centers and we usually introduce There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly either in the fall or spring, depending upon when I can fit in reading a gazillion versions. I like to read this story without a sing-songy voice the first time I read it {challenging!} and then re-read it once or twice until they have it memorized. I read lots of different versions of this one too and we love discussing if they are growing stories (have a growing and repeated list) or not.

Here are the props I gathered rather inexpensively (and you can too) to bring the book alive once we knew it by heart. Right, so, the only thin it took was me making these characters above by hand. Eeep - hard to duplicate so maybe I shouldn't even mention it! I taped each character onto a thick popsicle stick. The old lady has a plastic bag taped onto her back (and laminated again) so the animals appear to be inside the stomach. These coordinate with the Simms Taback version which is my favorite!

I should totally scan these for you! Someone remind me soon to do so, please?

Another option is to go shopping. This was a donation and a very cool one that goes along with the Pam Adams version.

Go back to read the Retell Literacy Center Directions {in case you missed it}

You can make this kindergarten activity yourself! Here are the materials you'll need...

Materials:

• Hand-drawn Old Lady and Animal Characters (okay, so don't freak out, I'm also leaving a printable - you know I've got your back)
• Popsicle Sticks
• Tape
• Plastic Bag
• Markers
• There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Printable
• There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

More 'There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly' Free Printables

• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Trout Printable
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell Printable
• There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat

More Versions of There Was An Old Lady We Love {I have them ALL!}

• There Was a Bold Lady Who Wanted a Star
• There Was an Old Monster
• I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
• I Know an Old Teacher
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed the Sea
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick 

{Told you I had a lot of versions to read! Eeep}

More Retell Literacy Center Book Activities for Kindergarten

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Fresh Fall Leaves

Big Pumpkin

Cinderella

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

The Little Red Hen

The Very Quiet Cricket

Red Riding Hood

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Hansel and Gretel

The Gingerbread Man

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The Fat Cat

Cookie's Week

The Doorbell Rang

The Three Little Pigs

Swimmy

See All

When do you like to read There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly with your class? Do you have a couple of versions too?

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- Leslie

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