Summarize
Jones states that "summarizing is how we take larger selections of text and reduce them to their bare essentials: the gist, the key ideas, the main points that are worth noting and remembering" (2012). This requires students to determine which ideas were the main, key points of the passage and which ideas were less important. In addition to helping students increase their comprehension, it is also "one of 11 elements of writing instruction effective in helping adolescents develop writing proficiency" (Miller & Veatch, 2011, p. 74). While usually written, summaries can also be oral or visual.
Written Summaries
Written summaries are "shortened versions of the text prepared by the reader that share the gist of the passage" (Miller & Veatch, 2011, p. 74). While written summaries can vary in length from a couple of sentences to an essay, they all focus on sharing the main ideas of a passage. Also note that all summaries should include the title and author of the text.
Using this strategy in the classroom: 1. Identify an appropriate piece of text that identifies the concepts being addressed. 2. Decide how often students will be summarizing while read the passage - after each subheading, section, chapter, or end of book. 3. Also decide how long the summarizes will be - a few sentences, complete paragraph, or essay. 4. Activate students' prior knowledge. Then, read the passage; engage students with graphic organizers that the can use later to help them write their summaries. 5. Then, think aloud with the students, discussing the main ideas of the passage were. 6. Finally, conduct a Write Aloud, guiding students to write a summary of these main ideas. 7. As students become more familiar with the strategy, slowly allow students to complete the strategy on their own. How writing is tied to this strategy: Summaries are one of 11 elements of writing instruction effective in helping adolescents develop writing proficiency" (Miller & Veatch, 2011, p. 74). |
Summarization 3 Interactive Reading
In this video, the teachers leads her students through the process of writing a summary for a text they read. She accomplishes this by using a strategy call GIST words while continually reminding students that summarizes are condensed versions of the original passage. |
(Knatim, 2009)
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(eHow, 2008)
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Writing lessons: How to Teach Summarizing in Writing
In this video, she addresses the key ideas of a summary and how to teach students to write summarizes. In addition, she stresses the important of using revisions as a way to strengthen their summaries. |
Visual Summaries
Visual Summaries are "a visual picture, storyboard, diagram, or PowerPoint slide show that summarizes what has been learned from the reading of the text" (Miller & Veatch, 2011, p. 77). Using visuals requires the students to think about the content in a different way while also providing them with an alternative approach to learning. When students use visuals to summarize material, they have to make connections, synthesize, and understand the big picture.
Using this strategy in the classroom: 1. Identify an appropriate piece of text that identifies the concepts being addressed. 2. Read the text using vocabulary and fluency strategies. 3. Do a think aloud about the key points and ideas from the passage. 4. Conduct a draw aloud by drawing representations that summarize the reading. Focus your attention on the visual message and not on the actual drawings. 5. As students become more familiar with the strategy, slowly allow students to complete the strategy on their own. How writing is tied to this strategy: While the main focus of this strategy is to use pictures, you can incorporate some writing on the drawing. For example, you could have the students write two questions on the drawing that the reader could think about while looking at their visual summary. You could also have students write a reflection at the end, focusing what they were thinking while completing the visual summary and how it helped them build their understanding. |
Visual Summary 2015 Food Challenge Prize
In this video, the 2015 Food Challenge is summarizing using pictures. This is an excellent and profession version of a visual summary in video format to show show students. It can be used to show students how visuals can be used to create summaries. |
(The Food Lab at UT, 2015)
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(EX Mastery, 2014)
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Visual Summary of Sunni Brown's "The Doodle Revolution"
In this video, the author summarized the key ideas presented in Sunny Brown's book "The Doodle Revolution" using pictures. This is also an excellent and professional version of a visual summary to show students. |
Cornell Notes
Cornell Notes were first introduced by Walter Pauk, a professor at Cornell University in the 1940's. The focus of Cornell notes is for students to make notes, not just take notes. Research has shown that "students who learn and practice (note making), specifically Cornell notes, have increased engagement with an understanding of concepts within the text" (Miller & Veatch, 2011, p. 80). Students are exposed to the material when they take notes over the content, while they write questions about the content, when composing a summary, and when using the notes to study. The increased level of exposure to the material in a variety of methods helps increase student comprehension.
Using this strategy in the classroom: 1. Identify an appropriate piece of te xt that identifies the concepts being addressed. 2. Read the text using vocabulary and fluency strategies. 3. Have students create Cornell Notes in their notebooks or pass out a handout with the format already printed. 3. In the right column, have students record notes about the reading. These should come from a think aloud where significant details about the topic are recorded. 4. In the left column, have students write at least 3 different questions about the content. These can be questions students have or questions that they can use later to study. 5. Finally, have students complete a summary using strategies mentioned above at the bottom of the page. How writing is tied to this strategy: Students have many opportunities to write while doing Cornell Notes. Their first opportunity comes when students take notes. Students have a second opportunity to write when they complete the questions on the side. Their final opportunity to write is when they complete the summary. |
How to take Cornell Notes
In this video, she does a great job of explaining how to take Cornell Notes - from creating the template to writing the summary. She also explains how to use Cornell Notes as a study tool for students. |
(DesRochers, 2012)
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(Clarissa, 2015)
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How to: take Cornell notes
In addition to showing students have to take Cornell notes, she also discusses why she found them useful and provides many examples of the Cornell notes she has taken for others to see as examples. |