We know that it is important for students to be able to write a summary of important information read in a text. Yet, some students struggle with this skill. Some students cannot find the main ideas and details, other students write so much that the summary turns into a retell with superfluous details included.
The strategy of “Gist Writing” is an evidence-based strategy that can help all students tackle this important skill. It gets students into reading, writing, thinking, and communicating about summarizing text.
Step 1: Provide a text for students to read. To begin, a shorter text is best and as the students gain expertise in the skill longer text can be provided.
Step 2: Students identify in a phrase who or what the text is about
Step 3: In 2 or 3 phrases that contain ideas from the text
Step 4: Combine the phrases from step 2 and 3 together into a sentence.
Step 5: Edit or “shrink”the sentence to be between 10 and 15 words.
Example:
- Students read the follow text on Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
- Name the who or what the paragraph is about in a brief phrase
Ancient Egyptian Religion
- Identify two or three important details about the topic
They believed in an afterlife
People believed in several groups of gods
The main gods were Amon-Re, Osiris, Isis and Horus
- Combine the phrases for a create a sentence.
The Ancient Egyptian religion believed in several groups of gods including Amon-Re, Osiris, Isis and Horus that provided the afterlife. (20 words)
- “Shrink” the paragraph by stating the main idea
The Ancient Egyptian religion believed in several groups of gods including Amon-Re, Osiris, Isis and Horus that provided the afterlife.
The Ancient Egyptians believed in groups of gods that provided the afterlife. (12 words)
Ready for the next level? Have two students share their gist sentence and combine there to make a new sentence of 10-15 words.
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