How to Write a Great Summary

WHAT IS A SUMMARY?

Working definition

 A summary is a shortened version of writing in which you use your own wording to express the main idea of a longer piece of information.

Summarizing is a real-life skill used by everyone: news reporters, police officers, you, et cetera.

WHAT THREE POINTS ARE EMPHASIZED IN LEARNING SUMMARY SKILLS?

When learning summarizing skills, three points should be emphasized:

(1) summaries are shorter than original texts,

(2) they contain the main ideas of a text, and

(3) they are written in reported speech and present tense. 

HOW DO I DISTINGUISH BETWEEN RELEVANT AND IRRELEVANT DETAILS? 

Relevant vs Irrelevant details

Relevant: Finding the Main Idea

The main idea is defined as one or two sentences that say what the author is trying to tell us about something. It is not usually a sentence that comes straight from the reading, but one that you have to come up with that summarises what the reading (paragraph, long passage, article, story, etc.) is mainly about.

Irrelevant: Elaborating details

 When you read your original summary the second time, mentally or physically with a pencil, exclude any of the following:

1.       Minor details

2.       Opinions

3.       Repetitions

4.       Examples

5.       Figures of speech

6.       Evaluations/conclusions

7.       Dialogue/ Quotations

8.       Statistical data

IS THERE AN APPROACH THAT I CAN USE TO COMPOSE A SUMMARY?

The process can be broken into these steps:

STEP I – Analyse the INSTRUCTIONS to make sure you understand how to answer.

…what to focus on? Relevant details

… how to write? Continuous prose

… word limit? 120 exact

STEP II – Read the passage ONCE to get a general understanding; TWICE to start making notes.

STEP III – Make NOTES of the main ideas in the text.

The Five W’s & How can be useful in helping you write the main points

1. Identify the theme/topic that is mentioned throughout the passage (what is extract talking about?)

                     

2.  Create a topic sentence that summarises main 

points

3. Ask yourself, what is the writer trying to tell me 

about the topic?

 *list FIVE main points

*use your own wording as far as possible to 

paraphrase in sentence form what you found

 (these become the main points/relevant info.)

*ensure you do not have any MORE FEDS

4. Organize main points sentences logically, which

means they do not have to appear in the order presented

in passage

STEP IV – Add transitions to make coherent

Use appropriate transitions to join and transition sentences.

STEP V – Read over and proofread

  þ  Your range of vocabulary is helpful as you condense a number of words/details

  þ  Change any direct speech into reported speech

  þ  Keep the language: (SC²)

      Simple – easy to understand

      Clear – easy to see

      Concise – brief and to the point

 

   

Recommendations for Teachers

- While students MUST use their own words, ― "in your own words"/wording does not require avoidance of keywords of the passage. The technical jargon (scientific terms, specialized vocabulary) of some passages cannot be avoided when students are writing summaries.

- Students need to undertake extensive practice in organizing their answers, using transition words to help the reader with understanding and readability and using simple, correct language.

- Students should be reminded that to reuse the words of the passage entirely (whether as a whole chunk or by joining phrases from all over) attracts no marks — as the student has not presented any of his/her own words for assessment.  Staying within the word limit is another area for practice.

- Build vocabulary and spelling skills to help with comprehension. 

Example Summary:

In Against the Odds is an informational text, that provides the heroic actions of an airline pilot, "Sully" Sullenberger when faced with adversity. On January 15, 2009, Sullenberger was the pilot on Flight 1549. Sullenberger thought he was in for an average flight. But, at 3,000 feet, a flock of geese headed toward the plane and struck the engine. The passengers felt a powerful thud against the airplane. Sullenberger made a radio call to air traffic control and explained the situation. They discussed the options: of returning back to the airport or land in New Jersey. Sullenberger knew the plane couldn't make it too either of the places. He decided to land the plane in the Hudson River. “Brace for impact!” came the captain’s voice over the intercom. He picked his landing spot and went for it.” After the plane landed Sullenberger made sure that everyone was off the plane. All the passengers' thanked Sully for being a hero. According to him, he was just doing his job.

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Stoplight Writing

Our class has been working on Stoplight writing for a few days.  However, up until this point, it has just been individual students sharing individual sentences. I decided that this week it was time to take the plunge and do our first Stoplight paragraphs as a class. However, I decided that the only way for both my students and myself to learn was to just do it, so we did.

I knew that it would be important for my students to have a model to follow for putting together this essay, so I used the model that I had been teaching my students in writing.  Below is a picture of it that is now hanging up in our writing area. So let's get started on Stoplight Paragraphs!


What does a stoplight paragraph look like?

1. Topic Sentence
2. Reason 1
3. Supporting Evidence/Detail
4. Reason 2
5. Supporting Evidence/Detail
6. Reason 3 
7. Supporting Detail/Evidence
8. Conclusion Sentence







Step 1:

The first part of the Stoplight System is
Green= Topic Sentence
Green means GO!
Write your topic sentence!

• Show the topic of the paragraph 
• Everything else must connect to it 
• One of your reasons

Step 2:

Yellow= Reasons

Yellow means SLOW DOWN. 

Write a detail that supports your topic sentence.

These details MUST connect to the topic sentence! 

Step 3:

Red= Supporting Evidence

Red means STOP!
Make sure you add additional evidence/details for each of your reasons
Additional evidence could be examples or explanations of your reasons



Step 4:

Green= Conclusion

Finish off the conclusion. 
Restate the topic sentence using different words.

  I believe in this writing strategy 100%. This has worked for my students to become better writers and formulate paragraphs and even essays! If you had not tried this strategy before or your teacher friends please do. This strategy has improved my students' state tests and hopefully your students to. Thank you for reading this! If you liked this please share it with your friends. NOTE: When introducing the four steps above make sure your students use transitions. I will put up the full lesson plan of this in-depth below when ready!

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Whole Brain Teaching Writing Program

I have found a writing system from WBT that I will be using this year and I wanted to share it with you. I can't help but reflect on all of the changes that have taken place in my classroom last year. I know it must have been some kind of divine intervention that led me to whole brain teaching, and I am forever grateful for the wonderful things it has done to my classroom.

 I am amazed at how this program actually works and the growth I have seen in students critical thinking, communication, leadership, reading, and writing skills. My only regret is that I didn't do the program in the year when I first found out about it!

This year, here's the order that I would like to introduce writing.

1. What is a sentence - Program 549- These are the basics of what a sentence needs to have in it. Even in sixth-grade, students continue to write fragments and run-on sentences.

2. Oral Writing -Program 502 - This builds off of the complete sentence lesson above, and gives daily and constant practice in starting with a capital letter, giving a complete thought, and ending with punctuation. Brain toys, such as the because clapper, example popper, and detail adder are also introduced as frames for writing different types of sentences that convey clear ideas.

3. Genius Ladder - Program 841 - This program works to add depth to sentences by adding adjectives, adverbs, and "extenders".

4. Red/Green Marker Writing - Program 531- The beauty of this program is that it allows the teacher and peer editors to focus on one specific concept and mark wherein a student's writing it was done well, and where it needs improvement.

5. What is the main idea- Program 550 - Building on the idea of writing a complete sentence, this program works, obviously, on understanding the main idea.

6. Triple Gold sentence - Program 542 - This program takes the main idea and works to add detail - building towards a topic sentence for a paragraph.

7. What is a topic sentence- Program 551  - Continuing the program above, the triple gold sentence is used to show the main idea of a paragraph.

8. What is a paragraph- Program 552 - Finally, a Triple Whammy paragraph gives a basic paragraph structure of topic sentence, detail adder, detail adder, detail adder, and concluder. This basic paragraph frame can then be enhanced through complex sentences and depth in detail.

I think the power of the WBT writing program comes from its simplicity, and its ability to be used to write college level essays. It's a starting place, with specific steps to follow and concepts to master, that can then be expanded to every grade level!

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