25-Word Summary

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What is a 25-Word Summary?

Students are asked to read a chunk of text and summarize the main idea that is presented within.  This is a complex task for most students to master, but it is a very useful routines to teach and embed in our classwork.

Summarizing is a bit different from "Getting the Gist" of a Passage. 

We know that asking students if they "get the gist" of a passage, that we asking  about the general or global ideas within a chunk of text.  This is a high-leverage reading strategy. When students are directed to a passage of text, and they are asked to figure our what does the text, paragraph, graphic, or even the sentence say and mean, they know at that very moment that they either understand the text or they do not.

 

Summarizing is a complex task and it is a comprehension strategy.  To summarize requires first read and comprehend what they are reading.  Then the student must make a lot of decisions to separate the main points from the supporting details. They often must connect complex ideas.  In addition, these summaries should be int he students own words.

Summarizing requires that students are able to use the text structures/features or signals of the passage. These text features include but are not limited to

  • punctuation
    • : followed by definition or example or listing
    • noun, appositive phrase,
    • (   ) for important clues to meaning like definition or source

 

  • formatting
    •   organization of text: is there a list of objectives, theory , then application, etc.
    •   white space:  is there a layout that helps readers make sense of the text
    •   placement of information:  what has the author placed first in text

 

  • transition words such as however, consequently, thus, in this way, likewise, in other words, for example, etc.
  • syntax such as term , or ____________________________, 

 

 

Students who are inexperienced in using text features, structures, and signals may miss the clues they provide.  Thus, faculty must be explicit in teaching these. This is an important part of the knowledge-building dimension in Reading Apprenticeship.