SummarizingCreated by Mrs. Christine Cowan

The Basic Outline

Summarizing: What is it?

• Summarizing is taking a large selection of text and then reducing it to smaller pieces.

• Summarizing is finding the main idea of a text.

• Summarizing is also finding the supporting details of the main idea.

• In other words, summarizing is retelling only the important parts of the story in YOUR WORDS.

The Basic Outline

Summarizing: What are we doing when we summarize?

• We are taking all the “extra words” out of the story or text.

• We look for key words or phrases that will still tell someone about what you have read.

• A summary should never be longer than the story!

• Summaries are a lot shorter than the original story or text.

The Basic Outline

Summarizing: Example?

• Here is a summary of The Three Little Pigs:

• The Three Little Pigs is about three pigs and a wolf. The wolf blows down two of the pigs' houses because he wants to eat them. He doesn't blow down the brick house, because it is too strong. He doesn't get to eat the pigs.

The Basic Outline

Summarizing: What should happen?

• Students should pull out the main idea.

• Students should focus on the key details about the main idea.

• Students should use key words or phrases.

• Students should write down just enough to tell someone about what they have read.

The Basic Outline

Summarizing: How do we do it?

• You can summarize by rewriting the story and illustrating it.

• You can summarize in a journal.• You can summarize by drawing (creating a diagram).

• You can summarize by yourself.• You can summarize with a friend.

• You can summarize with a group.

The Basic Outline

Summarizing: Why do it?

• We summarize to make connections.

• We summarize to learn new materials.

• We summarize to make sure we understand what we have read.

The Basic Outline

Summarizing: Your turn to try.

• Everyone knows the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. See if you can summarize it.

The Basic Outline

Summarizing: Conclusion

•Summarizing is vital to reading comprehension because it serves as a way to make sure you understood what you have read.