Learners convey the gist of what they have read by summarizing the content in 20 words.
Learning Outcomes
- Summarize
- Selective rereading
- Assess
- Explain
Implementation
- Distribute copies of brief content (1–1 ½ pages). The content must be divided into four or five sections that embody logical summarizing points, indicated by a wavy line or the word “STOP” in the margins.
- Explain that learners will read a portion of the text, stop, and write a sentence that summarizes the “gist” of that section. At the end of the content, learners will have written four or five sentences or a concise summary of the content.
- Introduce the content to be read, build prior knowledge, and discuss essential vocabulary. Read aloud the first passage of the content while learners read along silently.
- Lead class discussion about essential facts from the passage, writing their ideas on the board.
- Lead the class discussion about how to turn ideas into a sentence, allowing learners to share ideas and negotiate these ideas to craft an accurate and precise sentence.
- Write the agreed-upon sentence on the board, giving it #1. Learners write the sentence on the GIST Summary Writinggraphic organizer (Click here to access all of our graphic organizer forms).
- Read aloud the second passage, following the sequence above and numbering the agreed-upon sentence #2. Repeat cycle until the content is finished.
- Discuss how the class has compressed a page of text into a limited number of sentences.
- Reread the series of sentences and ask learners to help you underline the keywords in each sentence.
- Lead a class discussion about how to format a concise written summary utilizing the underlined keywords.
