Summarizing

What is this skill?

A summary says what a text is about in a few sentences, in the reader's own words, with the main points and none of the extras. It is harder than it sounds. Fourth graders have to decide what matters, drop what does not, and avoid two traps: a summary that is too narrow, which covers a single detail, and one that is too broad, which could describe nearly anything.

The five longer passages are "The Honeybee Dance," "Why Leaves Change Color," "The Invention of the Popsicle," "Emperor Penguins: Fathers of the Ice" and "The Problem With Plastic Bags," each about 160 to 205 words. Each opens with a question about the best summary of the passage, followed by one or two questions that probe it: what chlorophyll does, how Frank discovered the treat, why the males huddle together, or which detail is not important enough for a summary. Shorter paragraphs about sloths, Maya and her puppy deal, and Saturn's rings ask for the best summary. Others ask which sentence should not be in a summary, which summary is too narrow (one that says only that Jamal woke at 5 a.m.), and which is too broad (that chameleons are interesting animals). Yes-or-no questions check that a summary should not include every detail and should be in your own words, and one task puts four sentences of a glass-making summary in order.

Why it matters

Summarizing is the study skill that sits behind note-taking, test preparation and writing a report. A student who can cut a page down to its core is building their own memory of it, and one who cannot tends to copy out whole paragraphs and remember little.

It also shows a parent something. If a child can summarize what they read, they understood it. If the summary is just a repeat of the first sentence or a pile of details, that is a clear signal about where to help.

Common mistakes

• Including everything. A child who is afraid to leave out a fact writes a summary as long as the original. Tell them a summary should be short enough to say in a breath or two.
• Choosing the most interesting detail. The part about a firefighter's dog is fun, but it is not what the passage is about.
• Writing something so general that it could fit any text. "Penguins are interesting" says nothing about this one.
• Copying sentences word for word. A summary should be in the child's own words, which shows they understood.

How to help at home

• After a show or a chapter, ask for a two-sentence summary. Time it for fun: it has to be done before you pour a glass of water.
• Use the "somebody wanted, but, so, then" frame for stories and "topic plus three key points" for articles.
• Cross out the details together on a printed paragraph. What is left is close to a summary.
• Take turns summarizing the same page and see whose summary is too narrow, too broad or just right.

Worked examples

These are real questions from the Tutorsaurus summarizing practice, with the answers worked out.

1. Example 1

   Which is the best summary of this passage?

   Why Leaves Change Color Every autumn, the green leaves of many trees turn yellow, orange, and red. The colors seem to appear from nowhere. But the yellow and orange were there all along. Leaves are green because of a chemical called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll captures sunlight and helps the tree make food. There is so much chlorophyll in a summer leaf that it hides the other colors. As days grow shorter and cooler in autumn, the tree gets ready for winter. It stops making chlorophyll, and the green fades away. Now the yellow and orange pigments, which were hidden underneath, finally show through. Red is different. Some trees make a new red pigment in the fall when bright, sunny days are followed by cool nights. That is why the reddest autumns come after a certain kind of weather. Eventually the tree seals off each leaf, and it falls to the ground. The tree rests through winter and grows fresh green leaves in spring.

   Choices: Red leaves are prettier than yellow leaves., Leaves fall off trees in winter and grow back in spring., Trees are green in summer., Leaves change color in fall because trees stop making green chlorophyll, revealing hidden yellows and oranges, while some make new red pigment.

   Answer: Leaves change color in fall because trees stop making green chlorophyll, revealing hidden yellows and oranges, while some make new red pigment. This covers the main idea and the key reasons for the color change.

2. Example 2

   True or false: A summary should be written in your own words.

   Answer: True. True. A summary retells the main ideas in your own words instead of copying sentences.

3. Example 3

   Which summary is too broad?

   Chameleons change color mainly to communicate and control their temperature, not to hide. A dark chameleon absorbs more heat on a cold morning. Bright colors can warn rivals or attract mates.

   Choices: Chameleons change color mostly to communicate and manage heat, not to camouflage., Chameleons are interesting animals., Color changes help chameleons stay warm and send signals to other chameleons., Chameleons change color for temperature and communication rather than hiding.

   Answer: Chameleons are interesting animals. "Interesting animals" is too general. It does not tell what the paragraph is actually about.