Personal Narrative: Tell Me What Happened

Personal-event prompts for eliciting a connected speech sample the student owns, each one specific enough that a one-line answer does not satisfy it.

Use with a student — free
Card 1 of 10
Tell me about a time you got hurt. Start with where you were and who was with you.
Say it out loud
This pass0 correct · 0 cued · 0 incorrect · 0/10
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Session summary (SOAP)

Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.

Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.

How to run it

Pick one prompt, ask it, and then wait. Resist filling silences in the first half-minute, since that is often when the student decides what to tell you. Follow up with neutral questions like what happened next or how did it end, not leading ones. Record the story if you are taking a language sample. Fifteen minutes allows two or three prompts with a retell of one.

Cueing ladder

Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.

  1. Step 1IndependentPresent the item and wait 5 seconds of quiet before helping.Log as correct
  2. Step 2Question promptAsk a story-grammar question: who, where, what was the problem, what happened next?Log as cued
  3. Step 3Two choicesOffer two possible next parts of the story and let the student pick and say it.Log as cued
  4. Step 4ModelTell that part yourself; the student tells it back in their own words.Log as cued

Adjust it

Easier

Use fewer parts, and keep a first-next-last visual on the table.

Harder

Ask for the retell without the pictures, with a feeling or a reason added to each part.

Matching IEP goal

Given a picture or story prompt, Student will tell a story that includes a character, setting, problem and ending in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than one question prompt.

Send it home through the parent portal →

About this activity

Ten prompts for a personal story the student owns: Tell me about a time you got hurt, starting with where you were and who was with you. Tell me about a time a plan of yours fell apart, and what you did next. Tell me about a first day somewhere new, describing the room before the people. Each prompt asks for more than a one-line answer, which is the point: they are built to pull a connected sample.

What to listen for

Listen for a setting (where and who), a problem, the actions taken, and an ending. Note connectives beyond and then, such as because, so, but, after that. The prompt about being in trouble asks what the student thought would happen versus what did, which shows whether they can talk about thoughts and expectations. Watch for stories that are just a list of events with no reason connecting them.

Carrying it home

At dinner or in the car, ask one of these prompts, such as the funniest thing you have seen happen. Tell one of your own first, as a model, with a clear beginning, middle and end. Ask how it ended if the story stops early.

What's in this activity

  • Tell me about a time you got hurt. Start with where you were and who was with you.
  • Tell me about the best day you can remember. Say why it beat the others.
  • Tell me about a time you were in trouble. Say what you thought would happen and what actually did.
  • Tell me about a first day somewhere new. Describe the room before you describe the people.
  • Tell me about a time somebody helped you when you had not asked.
  • Tell me about a time a plan of yours fell apart. Say what you did next.
  • Tell me about something you lost, and whether you ever found it.
  • Tell me about a time you were proud of somebody else.
  • Tell me about the funniest thing you have seen happen. Set it up before you get to the funny part.
  • Tell me about a time you changed your mind about something.

Questions

What grades is this for?
Second through eighth grade, for narrative skills and language sampling.
Do I need an account?
No. The board plays free in the browser with no login. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment to a student.
What if the student says they cannot remember anything?
Offer two choices within the prompt, such as a time at school or a time at home, or tell a short story of your own first as a model and then ask again.

Use this board with your caseload

With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.

Track progress free

Free for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.