Strategy: One-Sentence Summary

Description Hot Tips!

While there are different levels of summarization-from a thorough Have students

summarization of a main idea and supporting details, to a one or two- write a one-
word summarization-One Sentence Summary falls between the two sentence
extremes. Using this strategy, students summarize the main idea and summary after a
vital details in one sentence. direct teach
portion of a
lesson, lecture,
Steps for Implementing This Strategy video, quest,
1. Teach each type of One-Sentence Summary, modeling how to speaker, etc.
summarize using content that is already familiar to the student. Use at the
(You may teach one sentence type at a time or all at once beginning of the
depending on students skills.) lesson to activate
prior knowledge
2. Read content specific text, then model selecting one of the or as a closure
summarization sentences and summarizing the information. activity at the end
3. Write summaries together before having students write One- of a lesson.
Sentence summaries independently. Can be completed
orally, used as a
4. Students require many examples and practices before being
journal entry, or
expected to use independently.
written on a
post-it.
Example Can be used to
summarize,
One-Sentence Summary Template describe,
sequence,
Description
A __________ is a kind of _________ that ______________. compare and
contrast and show
Sequence problem/solution.
_______ begins with, continues with _______ and ends with _______.

Compare/Contrast
____ and ____ are similar in that both ____, but ______ while _____.

Cause/Effect
_______________ causes _______________.

Problem/Solution
__________ wanted _______ but ______ so ___________.

2009, Stetson & Associates, Inc.

Adapted from: Comprehension Shouldnt be Silent, M. Kelley and N. Clausen-Grace, 2007.
Creating Independence Through Student-Owned Strategies, C. Santa, L. Havens, B. Valdes, 2004.