SUMMARIZATION
We all require it.
So who is teaching it?
Sean P. Nash - compiled April, 2009

+AGREE or DISAGREE-
• Summarization if one of the nine most effective teaching
strategies in the history of education.
• Summarization is restating the essence of text or an
experience in as few words as possible or in a new, yet
efficient manner.
• Information student take in during a 45 min. lecture rarely
makes it to long-term memory.
• Summarization must be taught with an awareness that it is a
strategy for making content “stick.”

Do you require
students to
summarize
within your course?

ASSIGN
vs.
TEACH

SUMMARIZATION
is...

“...restating the essence
of text or an
experience in as few
words as possible or in
a new, yet efficient
manner.”
Wormeli, 2005

“...and can be done in
writing, orally,
dramatically, artistically,
visually, physically,
musically, in groups or
individually.”
Wormeli, 2005

WHY
all the
ATTENTION?

“Summarization is
among the top nine
most effective teaching
strategies in the history
of education.”
Marzano, 2001

FOUND
WHERE?

“summarizing
&
notetaking”
Marzano, 2001

“nonlinguistic
representations”
Marzano, 2001

“cues, questions
& advanced
organizers”
Marzano, 2001

“LECTURE”
isn’t evil.

...but in 2009, perhaps
45 minute lectures
are.

“CHUNKING”
works.

15 minutes of “lecture”
followed by an active
summarization
experience
Souza, 2001

SO WHAT
DOES IT
LOOK LIKE?

MANY STRATEGIES:
• ACTIVATE STUDENT’S PERSONAL
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
• PRIME STUDENT’S BRAINS
• TEACH TEXT STRUCTURE...
Wormeli, 2005

TEACH UNDERLYING
TEXT STRUCTURE:
*PS- a solid “test taking”
strategy as well!
• enumeration
• chronological order
• compare & contrast
• cause & effect
• problem & solution
Wormeli, 2005

MORE STRATEGIES:
• INTRODUCE STUDENTS TO
ANALOGIES
• CHUNK TEXT AND LEARNING
EXPERIENCES
• TEACH ACTIVE READING TOOLS
• STRESS SCHOLARLY OBJECTIVITY
• TEACH STUDENTS TO EVALUATE THEIR
OWN SUMMARIES
Wormeli, 2005