Rationale: Teachers can use children's
summaries of text to see if they comprehend what they are reading,
because
without the ability to comprehend what one reads meaning of text is not
gained.
This is why summarization is one of the most important strategies for
teaching
comprehension. This lesson will show how teachers can teach children a
very
important step to learning to summarize.
Materials:
Chalk
board
Paper
Pencil
Sarah
Plain and Tall by Patricia
MacLachlan (Copy
for everyone)
Checklist: Deleted
unimportant information, deleted repeated information, picked out
important words or phrases, organized thoughts, summary explains the
meaning or point of the chapter.
Procedure:
1.
First
we will begin with a
review of silent reading. Does anyone know why it is important for us
to read
silently? We read silently so we can understand and comprehend what we
are
reading. Today we are going to learn another way that will help us make
sure we
understand what we are reading. Can anyone tell me what summarizing is?
It is
when you write a summary by picking out the main points in a story or
passage.
2. Review
how to summarize: There are six
different rules to know about when you summarize
·
Delete
unimportant information
·
Delete
repeated information
·
Substitute
easy terms for lists of terms
·
Add a
series of events with an action term
·
Select
a topic sentence
·
Invent
a topic sentence if there is none
3.
Introduce
the book and model
how to summarize. The book we are going to read and summarize is Sarah Plain and Tall. I will read the
first chapter out loud to the class then model how to summarize the
fist
chapter on the board, p. 4-10. After reading the first chapter to the
class I
will make a web on the board of the important words or phrases that
were
discussed in the chapter. Next I will organize them and put them in
order. When
I am finished I will write a sentence or two that explains the meaning
or point
of the whole chapter.
4.
Now
we are going to read
chapter 2 as a class. When we are finished reading chapter 2 I will
have the
students to help me make a web. "Okay class, who remembers a key word
or
phrase form chapter 2." Now we are going to organize all of the words.
"Now
lets all write on paper a summary sentence for chapter 2. Walk around
the rooms
reading some of the sentences to make sure the students are on the
right track.
"Remember students pay attention to the rules of writing a summary."
Have some of the students to read their sentences to the class. Explain
that
the summary sentence does not have to be the same for everyone as long
as it
captures the main idea of the passage.
5.
Now I
want everyone to read
chapter 3 silently and make a web on your own, organize your thoughts
and write
a sentence a sentence or two summarizing the chapter. Walk around the
room to
make sure everyone understands what to do and answer questions when
necessary.
6.
After
the students have finished
reading chapter 3 and writing a summary sentence go over the chapter
out loud
and have some of the students to read their sentences.
7.
Assessment: Take up everyone's summaries of chapter 3 to
make sure the students understand how to summarize a passage. Have a
checklist
prepared to help you know what to look for and know what areas the
student
still needs help on.
Checklist:
·
Deleted
unimportant information
·
Deleted
repeated information
·
Picked
out important words or phrases
·
Organized
thoughts (putting
words and phrases in order)
·
Summary
explains the meaning or point of the chapter
References:
Pressley,
Michael, et al. (1989). "Strategies that Improve Children's Memory and
Comprehension of Text." The Elementary Journal. Volume 90, Number 1.
Bailey,
Lindsay. Short and Sweet.
www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/introads/bailevrl.html
MacLachlan,
Patricia. Sarah, Pain and Tall. HarperCollins Publishers Inc. (1985).
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