Theme: Working with texts

Strategy 9: Summarizing and Synthesizing Texts

This strategy also could be used as a follow-up to the identification of main ideas in a text. It engages students in connecting these key points in cohesive texts (e.g., writing summaries, which simply represent a text’s main points; composing syntheses of the main ideas from several texts).
Task: Turning reading logs into summaries. Students may begin by discussing their choices and then create reading logs of the main ideas of the multicultural texts they read. In their summaries, they may first try to put together only
the main ideas as stated in the original text and, after that, add their personal responses to these main ideas. Furthermore, they could use their summarizing
Using Textbooks Effectively

skills to synthesize ideas from several texts, first without stating their personal opinions and then by adding evaluative comments. Whether writing summaries of one text or synthesizing the main ideas of several texts, they might benefit from being introduced to lists of cohesive devices, such as first, second, finally, moreover, furthermore, however, therefore, in addition to, in conclusion and other connec- tives that may help them logically organize the information they retrieved from their readings. Teachers may also explain the use of and and but as coordinating conjunctions and differentiate them from their frequent misuse in run-on sen- tences. Questions that might guide students in this activity include the following: “Can you tell me the main points?” “Why is this point important?” “Why do

you think the author wrote this?” “Is there any other important point?” In their responses, they might begin with “This story is about . . . ,” “What’s important here is . . . ,” or “In this story, the author ”