Grade 3 Reading | FL B.E.S.T. Standard: ELA.3.R.3.2
A summary tells the most important parts of a text in a SHORT, simple way using YOUR OWN WORDS. It's NOT retelling every detail—it's picking out only the key information. On Florida's FAST test, your child needs to identify good summaries and write their own.
Retelling: "First the wolf went to the straw house and blew it down. Then he went to the stick house and blew it down. Then he went to the brick house..." (Too long!)
Summary: "A wolf tried to blow down three pigs' houses, but only the brick house was strong enough to protect them." (Short and complete!)
What to do: After watching a TV show or movie together, challenge your child to summarize it in just 2-3 sentences.
Too long: "Nemo is a little fish. His dad is Marlin. Nemo got captured by a diver. Then Marlin met Dory who helped him. They swam through jellyfish..."
Good summary: "A clownfish named Marlin searches across the ocean to rescue his son Nemo after Nemo is captured. With help from a forgetful fish named Dory, Marlin faces many dangers and finally saves Nemo."
What to do: After reading a bedtime story, use the SWBST strategy to summarize it together.
Cinderella example: "Cinderella wanted to go to the ball, but her stepmother wouldn't let her, so her fairy godmother helped her, then she met the prince and they lived happily ever after."
What to do: Read a short kids' news article together (from Newsela, Time for Kids, or similar). Then practice summarizing nonfiction.
Ask these questions:
Tip: For nonfiction, the first and last paragraphs often contain the central idea!
What to do: When your child shares about their day, gently guide them to summarize instead of telling every detail.
What to do: If your child plays video games with stories, ask them to summarize what happened in a game session.
What to do: After finishing a book, have your child create a "book jacket" with a summary on the back.
Watch for this common mistake: Many children think a summary should include EVERYTHING. Remind them: "A summary is like a trailer, not the whole movie!" Practice asking: "Could we leave this detail out and still understand the main story?"
¿Qué es un resumen? Un resumen cuenta las partes MÁS IMPORTANTES de un texto de manera CORTA y con tus PROPIAS PALABRAS. No es contar cada detalle—es elegir solo la información clave.
Cómo ayudar en casa:
Pregunta clave: "¿Podríamos quitar este detalle y aún entender la historia principal?" Si sí, no debe estar en el resumen.