Purpose:  

To help students build comprehension by practicing summarizing

Preparation time:

10 minutes

Materials:  

Copy of short reading passage for student and tutor

Preparation:

Read the passage. Develop some summary statements and questions.

For example:

“I think this passage seem to be saying ____________________. What do YOU think it is saying?”

“I would title this passage _____________. What would YOU title it?”

“I think the main idea of the passage is __________________. What do YOU think it is?”

Procedure:

1. Read the passage together.
2. Give your summary statement and question.
3. Discuss your student’s response.

Variation:

After the student understands the concept of summarizing, have him/her offer a summary statement WITHOUT your prompting.