how to teach summary writing:

Summarizing is a skill that must be explicitly taught. And it’s a skill that must be modeled.

[{"selector":"#anim-17a57387-c7c1-4853-ab4f-0f71fcc666f6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3a8f0f8d-e6a3-462b-aa01-0adbc41e7337","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f5946d6e-5985-40cc-a9e6-e7df35ed524b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

How to Teach Summary Writing–The 1-Hand Summary:

[{"selector":"#anim-f9d7a747-c170-46d0-8ef7-614d336675b7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-88366af4-bb60-4512-92a9-3a366f69552d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

How I began

[{"selector":"#anim-960df27f-e37d-4045-9d3a-aa05f7d6c3cc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8b4e5322-67b4-4655-a57d-ae4ba8fde480","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -105.69639%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4ea4ec1c-b918-49d6-ad6f-9d76baae874f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dee4f599-b691-4764-9d9f-dac649f9eb60","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a0e49924-9536-4211-90d6-d920acdf6b46","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 105.78324%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

It was time for the 1-Hand Summary Sheet.

[{"selector":"#anim-fbc11d20-7194-43f1-b426-a6d5ed6b5ee0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(7.797348371074214%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d939bc2e-f926-42af-8ac5-e29bfd425bcd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

We looked at the hand and talked about the components of a strong summary:

[{"selector":"#anim-8d2cc56b-c392-46a7-b7c1-3d32737b8d37","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e06da521-3f8d-4a83-a492-93e13936d467","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.62263%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d8b330ed-1b2b-46f7-93d0-065c686ff49a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

Kids must see models. They must. There’s no way kids automatically know what a good summary looks like or sounds like.

[{"selector":"#anim-56e64561-d265-4940-992a-913a419ce5dc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f4e87d93-1371-4239-ac26-8832143757b4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ddc80763-72de-4bcc-baee-4429c52b29c3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

In order to succeed in school and in life, strong readers need to be able to summarize what they’ve read.

[{"selector":"#anim-02e81f5b-2e36-4c98-8a16-b73dafb39ec0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

SWIPE UP FOR MORE...

[{"selector":"#anim-d240f677-a815-44d4-9082-6e1d179c00c9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-31d87a89-1654-4ba2-98a8-b9fa9a9b9360","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -181.28129%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":100,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-11abb972-657e-40e5-b43f-7e951c5d3b6a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-89513f5b-6f36-4924-b98b-04f6a8e7ce16","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-340deg) translate3d(-62.70271%, 0px, 0) rotate(340deg)","rotate(-340deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(340deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1296f0e3-6673-4c2a-bb1c-91b41fd3a5d8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-28f4c90a-7528-4356-af8d-26dd9f74ebf9","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-345deg) translate3d(48.10811%, 0px, 0) rotate(345deg)","rotate(-345deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(345deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Squiggly Line Squiggly Line Learn More

Have outstanding student loan debt? Debt forgiveness is available to you.

[{"selector":"#anim-623339f3-6e27-41b8-82a4-5e82eb14e80b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f51f70be-55e3-47d5-b304-021677e88527","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-141.66667%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6f609f34-2e4a-4bbf-8cc7-76137d9fa9a8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":350,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2abf5189-e6ce-4da5-96ec-8adc04a97c70","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(128.18791%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":350,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-52d60082-186f-4ee1-a425-afd37f40b2da","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3bc66f7d-5fa0-4da1-8d0a-97713270bb8f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(123.27046%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6ae49436-3c3a-44c0-9972-a3750faaf51f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bd1b810f-53a8-4a50-8824-4f51089ed225","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-141.66667%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

how to teach summary writing:

the 1-hand summary

Summarizing is a skill that must be explicitly taught. And it’s a skill that must be modeled.

How to Teach Summary Writing–The 1-Hand Summary:

My goal with this was to have it work for anything Maddy chose–a news article, a magazine article, anything. And for the most part, it works.

How I began

I started with the very article that Maddy chose for her homework–a piece from The Washington Post about Jennifer Yu, a local chess champion.

It was time for the 1-Hand Summary Sheet.

We looked at the hand and talked about the components of a strong summary:

- title and author - strong topic sentence - facts and no opinions

Kids must see models. They must. There’s no way kids automatically know what a good summary looks like or sounds like.

In order to succeed in school and in life, strong readers need to be able to summarize what they’ve read.

SWIPE UP FOR MORE...

Have outstanding student loan debt? Debt forgiveness is available to you.

learn to read app for kids 3-7: Duolingo ABC

More stories