# Tell the story

Retell connected events and explain a character’s choice.

## Try it

1. Listen to The Spilled Water.
2. Draw what happened first, next, and last.
3. Tell why the cloth helped.

### The Spilled Water

Mina carried water to the classroom plant. Her sleeve caught the cup. Water spilled onto the table. Jo brought a cloth and a smooth wooden block. They compared the materials. The cloth took up water. The block stayed hard and wet. Mina used the cloth to wipe the table. Jo moved the plant closer. Mina poured the water slowly. The soil became damp. “We found a way,” said Mina.

What did Mina want to do? Why did Jo bring different materials? What helped them solve the problem?

## Your materials

[Open the pupil workbook PDF](/files/c385c4cae385f0f332fd1c00d8e3dba4e2a5838fae4774b70df25e42e950768e). Use pages **2, 28**.

Story and drawing page; pencil or crayons.

## Teacher lesson plan

### Learning goal

Retell connected events and explain a character’s choice.

### Before teaching

Can attend to a short shared story using a preferred communication mode.

### Model

Read The Spilled Water aloud. Explain spilled (left its container), damp (a little wet), and compare (look for what is the same or different). Model: “Mina wanted to help the plant. I know because she brought water.” Point to evidence in the text.

### Guide, then apply

Reread with children acting or gesturing. Ask what happened first, what changed, and how the children solved the problem. Invite a retelling using the drawing boxes. Discuss why Jo chose the cloth instead of the block.

### Interpret the response

A useful retelling connects the spill, the comparison, and the cloth. Accept varied wording. If events are disconnected, revisit the text and model a causal link. “The cloth helped” needs an explanation of what it did.

### Support

Read a shorter section, use gesture or home language, and let an adult record the child’s words. Explain vocabulary before asking for an inference.

### Extend when ready

Change the available materials and ask the child to justify a different solution. Compare how each character helped.

### Fresh check

Tell: “Lee’s paper blew off the table. Lee put a block on a new sheet.” Ask why the block helped and what might happen with a very light leaf instead. Look for an explanation connected to the situation.

[Teacher plans PDF](/files/1f4985652f45f6b19ef743d7b27765081e2d637d0a001670faa74e59383c736a): page 2. Record exact support and revisit the idea later.

## Keep learning

[Next in this path: Hear the sounds](/agent/docs/tk-lesson-sounds) · [Choose a learning path](/agent/docs/tk-learn)

## Publication details

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Material | Classroom lesson |
| Learning path | Words and writing |
| Lesson | 1 |
| Learners | California TK, ages 4–5 |
| Setting | Full classroom |
| Pacing | Teacher selects from observed prerequisites |
| Author | Arcomm |
| Edition | First edition, 2026-09-08 |
| Format | Markdown |
| Evidence status | Original synthesis; not outcome-validated |

## Sources and dates

- [CDE: Language and Literacy Development](https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/documents/ptklflanguageliteracydev.pdf): current PTKLF edition. Retrieved 2026-09-08T03:44:00.628834+00:00.
- [IES What Works Clearinghouse: Preparing Young Children for School](https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/30): 2022 practice guide. Retrieved 2026-09-08T03:44:00.628834+00:00.

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## Revisions

[Revision history](/agent/docs/tk-lesson-story/history)