Summarizing - It Is Worth the Time

Bill Blynt
Mar 15, 2010

Summarizing is defined as the ability to produce a comprehensive but condensed recapitulation of learned information. This learning strategy, when consistently used as an instructional tool, has been proven to have a significant positive impact on learning (Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock, Classroom Instruction That Works, 2001). Summarization requires that students review a great deal of information, identify the most important points and then produce a synthesized statement of the most salient points. It is the student who must extract the information, weed out the irrelevant and produce a summary that identifies the key points supported by significant details.

Summarizing is important because it benefits both you and the student. For students, summarizing provides an opportunity for them to create a ‘schema' for new information that will allow them to remember and retain it longer. During the summarization process, students grapple with new information. As they participate in this learning strategy, confusions, misconceptions and misunderstandings surface. These misconceptions can then be addressed either through the activity or in a future teaching experience. Summarizing also provides an opportunity for students to practice specific learning skills such as decision-making and sequencing while at the same time provide them an opportunity to expand the depth and breadth of their understanding of the new information.

Summarizing serves as a check for understanding. Based on the responses of the students, you are able to obtain an informal indicator of comprehension. Future teaching can then be adapting based on the information obtained (Do I re-teach or go on?). Summarizing also provides evidence of a student's ability to utilize certain life-long learning skills such as prioritizing, sequencing and identifying main ideas.

A major misconception regarding Summarizing Strategies is that it is only done at the end of a lesson. Summarization should be distributed throughout the lesson. Lessons should be designed to include opportunities to synthesize new information or practice new skills during the teaching component as well as at the conclusion of instruction. Summarization opportunities embedded throughout the lesson serve as formative assessments. These "checks for understanding" inform as to a student's progress toward understanding the new information or mastering the new skill. The feedback collected provides the opportunity for timely intervention if needed or the confidence to move on in the curriculum.

Consistent use of summarizing strategies as a learning strategy will increase student achievement. Carefully plan these events and be sure they are aligned to learning goals. Research emphasizes the importance of breaking down the process of summarizing into a structure students can understand. The activities designed for use during the lesson should result in student's having the knowledge necessary to perform the Summarizing Strategy at the end of the lesson. The end-of-the-lesson Summarizing Strategy must require the student to demonstrate an understanding of the answer to the original Lesson Essential Question.

For more ideas on Summarizing see Connecting Exemplary Practices in Acquistion Lessons.