Collaborative Summarizing strategy

Collaborative Summarizing

Reading component  Comprehension
Related Standard(s) of Learning

Overview of the strategy
Summarizing is difficult, and students need to be shown a variety of ways to perfect their skill at this. Rules, models, graphic organizers, and collaboration are all effective. The Collaborative Summarizing strategy allows students to share and learn from each other while developing skill at summarizing.

Strategy procedure
1.  Choose a text on the independent reading level of students, and ask them to read and summarize it. If appropriate, limit the number of sentences students may use.
2.  Assign students to groups of four or five students, and instruct each member of the group to read his or her summary aloud while the other group members highlight the parts of their own summary that are similar to the read summary. Continue until each member of every group has read his or her summary.
3.  Instruct each student to examine any item in his/her summary not highlighted to see if it too is a key point. 
4.  Instruct each group to make a collaborative list of the key points highlighted in the summaries. 
5.  Instruct each student to rewrite his or her summary based on the collaborative list. If appropriate, limit the number of sentences students may use.
6.  Allow students time to share their rewritten summaries and to discuss the improvements based on collaboration.