Summary: A Great Strategy Part II

I promised an application part of my summary post, so here it is! If you go back exactly two posts ago, you will see how I teach summary.  It is based on three symbols for character, problem, solution and using them to write and process summary choices.  Let me explain why I use this method over beginning, middle, and end. Beginning, middle, and end suggest that there are three distinct sections of each story...possibly even equal in length.  Many times the problem/conflict in the story is shared in the first paragraph. Sometimes the problem is toward the end (but not very often!) Neither of those is the "middle" where we'd expect the problem, or conflict, to be. If you teach kids to look for the three elements rather than beginning, middle, and end, they will have summary down much faster and more efficiently because they aren't looking for three sections, but story elements.

One of the reasons (besides being able to summarize orally and write a summary of a fiction story) that we need to teach summary is because it is a tested item. Our answer choices are lengthy and daunting! We use this summary "chart" to analyze each answer choice and eliminate the ones that don't have enough information.  It works every time! Seriously, I've not found a time that this chart would not help children.

So...Step 1:

Choose books you love that have strong character, problem, solution parts (which is probably almost any children's book!) and create some summary questions of your own.  I usually have two pretty good summaries as choices, but then two that leave out the solution or the problem.  I just finished reading and using How I Became a Pirate, The Brand New Kid, and Pigsty. I read these over a period of three days and each time gave the kids a summary question where we drew the chart together after each story.  We  went through each answer choice carefully using the chart "check off system", and chose the best summary!

Write a summary question such as: "Which of these is the best summary of the story?"  Then give A,B,C,D choices as lengthy as the real test does!

Step 2:
The students can be trained to immediately draw the chart when they see this type of question. (They do have to remember that this is only for fiction!)  This is a computer drawing, but the kids can easily learn how to draw their own with a little guidance.  The chart will allow the kids to read each answer choice and check off the the parts of a summary they find in each choice.  They can look at their chart and see which one has the most checkmarks and choose the best summary!

You can get a printable copy {here}

I usually give them one that I've made for them while we are learning to draw them on our own.

They practice making their own on the front and back. They are getting really good at drawing the chart and eliminating answers that don't have all the pieces.

I hope you can try this method and see if it works for you! Please feel free to ask me questions.