Table of Contents
Summarizing helps students become aware of the text structure while breaking down a piece into a brief statement that contains the main idea and key details. National Reading Panel
Summarizing in the Classroom
Used both as a reading comprehension assessment technique and a comprehension startegy instruction shown to improve scores on comprehension measures.
Oral retelling and short answer retelling can give you as a teacher a quick snapshot on students understanding.
Summarizing Narrative Texts
When teaching summarizing of a narrative text focus on the story structure. As a teacher think aloud and point out temporal words, like first, second, and last.
Use graphic organizers to help identify story elements such as: setting, characters, problems, sequence of events, outcome, and theme.
When summarizing narrative text you focus on the elements of plot: problems, sequence of events, outcome. As a teacher can do this by asking students questions about the story structure.
PreK-K
- Listen to stories
- Link real life events in order
- Explicitly use words “beginning, middle, end and first, second, and third”
- Focus on event listening and retelling events in sequence
K-2
- Model the retelling of key plot events and details
- Assist students in oral retellings
- Have students illustrate story frames
2-4
- Require students to summarize plot
- Retell and write key events in sequential order
- Explain how other story elements impact key events of the plot