Does Participation in a Story Retell Affect Performance on Comprehension Questions for Kindergartners?

Purpose: The purpose of this research note is to contribute to the literature on language comprehension screening by examining kindergarteners' performance on two subtests included in the Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System: a narrative retell and comprehension questions. Method: A three-level hierarchical linear model with students nested within classrooms within schools was used to examine whether participation in the narrative retell affected performance on the comprehension questions related to the narrative. A total of 7,557 students participated in the narrative retell and the comprehension questions, and 9,859 participated in only the comprehension questions. Results: Students who participated in the retell and the comprehension questions outperformed those who participated in only the comprehension questions. The difference was statistically significant in a multilevel model controlling for demographic variables, b = 0.229, SE = 0.062, t (16, 432) = 3.68, p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.1. Conclusions: The difference in scores is minimal; however, the significant results suggest that participation in the retell may contribute to scores on the comprehension questions. Possible explanations for the positive effect and implications for instruction are discussed.