I used blind re-tells in class today in levels 2 and 3 and was very pleased with the results.  In both classes, we started stories yesterday and finished them today.  In level 2, we were working with El chico perezoso buscó el pan and in level 3, Las metas de los niños.

After we finished the story in class with actors, I paired students up with one partner looking at the screen and one facing away from it.  I projected a written version of the story.  It was possible today because I had controlled each story a little more than I normally would.  (I stuck to the script.)  The student facing away from the screen retold the story while his/her partner jumped in with help when needed.  I was impressed at how well they retold the stories, and even more impressed by how good their partners were at offering just enough to keep them going.  It was easy for me to walk around and monitor each group.  After they finished, the partners switched roles.  It was easier for the second partners because they had seen and heard the story more times already, but no one seemed to mind.

The next step was to put the text into textivate and play with it a bit.  I only had time to get to this step in one class.  textivate.com is an incredible resource for stories.  It is super simple.  It breaks up any text into several possible word games.  It works especially well with a smart board.  Students can use their fingers to move parts of the story around and put them in order.