EXTEND: 
Summarize and Synthesize Strategies

• Previously read text, familiar class text, or AVID Elementary Weekly article 

• Projection screen or whiteboard, for teacher modeling 

• Chart paper for posting 

• Multiple copies of a short piece of text

1. Explain that when we read to get the gist or main idea, we want to find the most important information and synthesize that info into our own words. This means that we think about the ideas and put them all together. 

2. When deciding how to summarize, we first decide what kind of reading we are doing, either fiction (narrative) or non-fiction. 

3. Show students structures that support summarizing various types of text and use both think-aloud and demonstration to teach this skill. 

4. Demonstrate doing a summary of a written passage by taking out material that is not important (this can be crossed out). Take out information or words that are repeated. List main ideas that remain. Look at remaining ideas and replace with a larger idea using paraphrasing. Find a topic sentence or create one of your own. 

Fiction Texts 

5. Create five rows on chart paper and provide a two-column notes template, with the following headings: Somebody, Wanted, But, So, and Then. 

6. First, read aloud a familiar story and ask students to complete the chart by writing a statement for each section. Model by demonstrating answers to the following questions about the text: 

7. Somebody (Who is the main character in the story?) 

8. Wanted (What is the main character’s goal?) 

9. But (What is the conflict or the problem getting in the way of the character’s goal?) 

10. So (How did the character try to solve the problem?) 

11. Then (What was the resolution?) 

12. Distribute Student Handout: Summarizing and Synthesizing Fiction Texts, and after reading a short book or section of fiction text, ask students to discuss with a partner the questions on the handout. Provide sentence stems on a prepared chart to support use of academic language. 

13. Follow up by asking students to write their summaries after the partner discussion. 

14. Finally, have students share and make comments on each other’s summary of the story, perhaps using small groups or a gallery walk format. 

15. Expect students to use this format to summarize (both verbally and in writing) short stories, movies, and plays. 

Non-Fiction Texts 

16. Model for students at least two structures for summarizing the facts. 

17. Present the following two-column note structures and use each to summarize a short article from a children’s magazine, a newspaper article, or an AVID Elementary Weekly article: 

    • • • Name: Name of article or type of writing 

        • Author: Use the author’s name and/or the name of the publication. 

        • Action: Use a verb like: claims, explains, persuades, asks, entertains, etc. 

        • Gist: Finish the sentence with the main idea, point, or the gist of the text. 

18. Present the reporting structure for summarizing and note-taking, 5 W’s and an H: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? 

19. Distribute Student Handout: Summarizing and Synthesizing Non-Fiction Texts and have students complete it for a selected non-fiction text.

To adapt this lesson for primary classes:

• Choose a familiar story or text, such as a fairy tale. 

• Start by modeling a retelling that shows a sequence of events, with a beginning, middle, and end of the story. 

• Stop at key points during a read-aloud and have students turn to a partner and talk about how the story begins, what happens in the middle, or how the story ends. 

• Ask them to draw the parts of the story and post pictures on charts labeled: Beginning, Middle, and Ending. 

• When using the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then structure, use a glove with the cue words written on each finger. Gesture using the glove when recounting the summary and allow students to take turns wearing the glove as they practice summarizing. Student Handout: Summarizing and Synthesizing Fiction Texts for Primary Level can also be provided to students to complete.

To increase rigor, consider demonstrating techniques for various genres with more specific techniques. 

• Have students determine the main idea of a non-fiction text by utilizing inquiry and inference from the title, subheadings, and a browse of the text in search of the gist. 

• Ask them to find and underline topic sentences and find key words that they want to include in their summary (circle key words). 

• Demonstrate how to paraphrase what a fiction text is about and what the author is saying/doing.