How to Write a Summary Text Read Annotate Write One of the best ways to check for understanding of a text is to write a summary (about ¼ to 1/3 the length of the original) of the text using your own words. There are three basic steps in this process—read, annotate, and write.

Why do you think it’s important to know how to write a summary?

Why write a summary? To locate and understand key points from a chapter to study for a test To take notes for a research project To demonstrate to your teacher your understanding of a text (Teachers—Ask students to generate a list of other ways they might use a summary both inside the classroom and out)

Read Read the passage carefully and determine the author’s purpose How is the material is presented ? Is it a fictional story Is it facts The first step to prepare to write a summary is to read the selection carefully with the author’s purpose in mind. After you have finished reading, you might try this exercise. Close the book and write down everything you can remember. Put this paper aside and read the selection a second time. (Teachers—You may want to provide some guided reading strategies before you assign a selection. Tell students specifically what they should be looking for i.e. relationships, cause and effect, process analysis etc., prior to assigning the reading. Good readers naturally sort and process the information; others still need guidance to prepare for reading of texts other than simple narratives.)

Annotate--Take Notes Reread the passage and annotate Use post-it notes, or take down jot notes. It is important that you develop your own system for taking down notes Identify the main points Now, re-read the passage again, this time annotate the text (make margin notes and highlight or use post-it notes to reference key points). This reading strategy is called Repeated Reading. The research shows that you will remember more when you read a particular text more than one time, and with repeated readings, retention is even greater. Now, look at your original notes and add important information that you missed during the first reading and delete information that is repetitious or unnecessary to the understanding of the text. Finally, imagine that your best friend is going to have a test on the material and didn’t read ( this would never happen with students at UMHS) the assigned pages. You now have two minutes during passing period to help prepare your friend for the quiz. What information is absolutely essential for his/her understanding of the text? time.

What are ways you can take down notes using your tech?

Write a Thesis One sentence summary of the entire reading The central idea of the passage--think rhetorical square For descriptive pieces, consider the subject and the most distinctive features For persuasive pieces, consider the author’s conclusion Now you are ready to write the summary. Begin with the thesis statement--the central idea of the passage.

Summarize the key points from the text Write a one sentence summary for each paragraph or section of the text Add significant details from the passages Generalize minor details Be clear concise Add transitional words and phrases to connect ideas for better understanding Follow the thesis statement with a one sentence summary for each paragraph or section of the text using your margin notes and/or post it notes as a guide. Use your own words. If you must use the exact words of an author, put quotation marks around the sentence or phrase and use a parenthetical citation with the page number. Minor details should be ignored or generalized. If you are summarizing a process piece, you can use transitional words such as first, second, then, following etc. Use other transitional words as appropriate to connect ideas (coherence).

What are Transitional Words and Phrases?

Other things to remember Introduce author or background information Use present tense Do not add your own opinion If you are summarizing a chapter from e textbook, introduce the chapter or include the title in the introduction. Use present tense and remember your purpose--to summarize the writing of another in your own words. You do not add your own opinion or make value judgments of any kind. That is another type of writing.

Additional Resources http://www.uwab.edu/esms/sss/artcle.htm http://www.fllt.udel.edu/lang/french/french205/summaries.html http://www.gooddocuments.com/techniques/summaryexample_m.htm