Story Recall

About the Story Recall exercise

Someone explains the new bin collection days, a neighbor mentions when the plumber is coming, a radio item gives a road closure, a receptionist confirms an appointment time. Holding the details of something heard or read, and giving them back later, is everyday verbal memory. After a stroke, a brain injury, or with memory changes, those details can slip within minutes.

Story Recall is a free online verbal memory exercise built on 24 original short stories. The person reads one (or has it read aloud), the story hides, and questions about its details follow, either as multiple choice scored automatically or as free recall marked by the person or a partner. Every round draws a fresh story.

What Story Recall practices

Verbal memory

Taking in the who, what, where, and how many of a short story and holding those details once the text is gone, which is what every question asks for.

Recognition and recall

Multiple choice asks the person to pick the right detail from four options. Free recall asks them to produce it with no options at all, which places a heavier demand on memory.

Reading and listening comprehension

Following a few sentences of everyday narrative, on screen or read aloud by the device's voice, closely enough to answer about it afterwards, within a reading time if one is set.

How the tool works and what it records

The 24 stories split evenly into short, medium, and long, in four categories, each with 3 to 5 questions. Free presets read a medium story on a 30 second timer, in multiple choice or free recall, or with a 15 second delay before the questions. Pro unlocks the dials: question mode, length, category, self-paced or timed reading from 10 to 90 seconds, and a delay before questions of 0 to 60 seconds. Large-print mode and read-aloud, using the device's own voice, are free.

In multiple choice, tapping an option shows right or wrong and moves on. In free recall, the person answers aloud, taps show answer, and marks got it or missed it. Results show correct (or recalled) out of the question count, time on the questions, and the story title. Signed-in users get 5 free rounds per tool per day; Pro removes the cap, adds PDF export of three story sheets, and saves rounds to a session log.

Screen or paper?

The screen suits a story that has to disappear on time: a reading window to the second, a quiet delay before the questions, automatic scoring of multiple choice, and a voice that reads the story the same way every time. Paper suits a partner reading aloud at a natural pace, written answers where handwriting is part of the practice, sessions without wifi, and a set of sheets to keep.

The printable version is the Story Recall worksheet set on rehabworksheets.com, and there is a free story recall worksheet to try first, with no email required.

Using it well

• Start with multiple choice on a medium story. The first preset gives 30 seconds with a medium story and four options per question. When most rounds come back with every question right, try the free recall preset on the same length before changing anything else.
• Use read-aloud when reading is slow. The read-aloud button speaks the story with the device's built-in voice, so someone who reads slowly or tires with text can still take the story in. A partner can also read it aloud, as the printed pack allows.
• Mark free recall honestly and consistently. In free recall the model answer appears after the person has spoken, and someone taps got it or missed it. Agree beforehand what counts, for example the chair by the window versus just the chair, and keep to it.
• Add the delay before adding length. With Pro dials, a delay of 5 to 60 seconds between story and questions asks something different of memory than a longer story does. Try the delay on a medium story first, then move to long stories if that stays comfortable.

Common questions