A summary is a brief summarization of a larger work that gives the reader a comprehensive understanding. To write a summary, a writer will gather the main ideas of an article, essay, television show, or film they've read or watched and condense the central ideas into a brief overview.

1. Comprehension
Scaffolding Summary
Writing
Standard 3
Objectives

2. It is said that summary writing isn’t that
simple.
In fact, it’s a difficult academic skill. As with
any new skill, especially a writing skill, students
need to be explicitly taught.
• A summary is a shorter description of a longer essay or
story, covering all of the highlights but not many of the
details. It is used for an overview so that people can get
an idea of what the longer work entails without reading or
watching it first.
• You see summaries everywhere, from book covers to
product descriptions to online review sites. However, no
matter how many summaries you’ve read.
Summary Writing

3. For the student, it offers them a chance to synthesize what
they just read and sort out the ideas in their own words.
• Summarizing is a great way to assess your comprehension.
• It focuses on the four language skills: listening, reading,
speaking and writing.
• In addition, summarizing improves reading skills as
students pick out the main ideas of a reading.
• It also helps with vocabulary skills as students
paraphrase a reading, altering the vocabulary and grammar
as they do so.
• Your critical thinking skills are improved as you decide on
the main ideas of the reading to include in the summary.
• Finally, writing and editing skills are improved as you
draft and edit the summary.
Summary Writing

4. Summary Writing
Main Idea
Remember the main idea is usually the
first sentence in a paragraph.
It is the most important point of the
text.
Good readers determine the main idea
by looking for details in the text.

5. Summary Writing
Read the paragraph and identify the main ideas. There are two.
Main Idea

7. • A summary is short and concise.
• A summary is free from repeated ideas and minor
details .
• A summary is coherent and cohesive.
• A summary can not really be plagiarized.
Summary Writing
Characteristics of a Good Summary

8. • As a class, read a short selection.
• Read the text and try to identify the main ideas.
• Use any technique that can help you separate the
main ideas or points from non - points or unimportant
sentences.
• Create a Graphic organizer.
• Find key words and make your list. Then find
synonyms for them to help you write the summary in
your own words.
• You can also identify, if needed, the writer’s name
and the title of the book or passage read.
Summary Writing
How to do Summary Writing
Step 1:

9. Basic Graphic Organizer
You usually add more information in a
summary graphic organizer.

10. • As a class, read a short selection.
• If necessary, ask your self what is the purpose of the
story?
• After gathering your information, eliminate any
repetitions, lists, examples, and detailed descriptions.
• Now you are ready to focus on creating your summary.
Summary Writing
How to do Summary Writing
Step 2:

11. • Make sure your ideas are logically connected. That
means there must be relationship between the
sentences.
• Add in your transition words.
• Make sure you do not include your opinions.
• Revise your summary
• Translate you summary, then revise it again.
Summary Writing
How to do Summary Writing
Step 3:

12. Transition Words

13. Let’s try and do our own summary here.

14. Summary Writing
As you read this story, look for the main idea of each
paragraph. Focus on step one.

15. Summary Writing
From your STORY, the answers can be put together to make a
summary of the whole story.

16. Summary Writing
From your STORY, the answers can be put together to make a
summary of the whole story.

17. Summary Writing
From your STORY, the answers can be put together to make a
summary of the whole story.
2
4
3
1

18. Summary Writing
From your STORY, the answers can be put together to make a
summary of the whole story. Focus on step two and three.
Create your Summary.
You will be assessed accordingly.