Summarizing | Teacher Guide

What Students Need to Know

Third graders must be able to retell the most important parts of a text in their own words. Summaries should be SHORT, include only key information, and be in the student's OWN words—not copied from the text.

Two Types of Summaries

Literary Text (Stories)

Include:

Main characters
Setting (where/when)
Problem/conflict
Key events (beginning, middle, end)
Solution/resolution
Theme (lesson/message)

Informational Text (Nonfiction)

Include:

Topic (what it's about)
Central idea (main point)
Most important details
Key facts that support the main idea
Conclusions drawn by the author

SWBST Strategy (For Fiction)

Somebody Wanted But So Then

SSomebody
(Who?)

WWanted
(Goal?)

BBut
(Problem?)

SSo
(Action?)

TThen
(Result?)

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 lived happily ever after.

Common Misconceptions

Misconception 1: Summaries should include everything

Reality: A summary is SHORT! It includes only the MOST IMPORTANT parts. Teach students to leave out minor details.

Misconception 2: Copying sentences from the text is a summary

Reality: A summary must be in the student's OWN WORDS. Copying is not summarizing—it's retelling verbatim.

Misconception 3: A summary is the same as a retelling

Reality: A retelling includes every detail in order. A summary is condensed—only the key points that help someone understand the main idea.

FAST Assessment Question Types

Question Type	Example Stem	What It Tests
Best Summary	"Which is the BEST summary of the passage?"	Choosing complete, accurate summary
Missing Element	"Which detail should be included in a summary?"	Identifying key vs. minor details
Write a Summary	"Write a summary of the passage."	Creating an original summary
Central Idea	"What should a summary of this passage include?"	Identifying essential elements
Exclude	"Which detail should NOT be included in a summary?"	Recognizing minor/irrelevant details

FAST-Style Question Stems

Use these stems for practice and assessment:

"Which is the BEST summary of the passage?"

"Which sentence should be included in a summary of the story?"

"Which detail is NOT important enough to include in a summary?"

"A summary of this passage should include—"

"Write a summary of the passage in your own words."

"Which statement BEST summarizes the central idea of the passage?"

5-Day Lesson Plan

Day 1: What is a Summary? 45 min

Compare summary vs. retelling (shrink ray analogy)
Discuss: "If you only had 2 sentences to tell someone about this story..."
Introduce key elements: Who? What happened? How did it end?
Complete Student Concept Worksheet together

Day 2: Summarizing Fiction with SWBST 45 min

Teach SWBST strategy: Somebody Wanted But So Then
Practice with familiar stories (fairy tales, read-alouds)
Identify character, goal, problem, solution, result
Begin Practice Worksheet (questions 1-5)

Day 3: Summarizing Informational Text 45 min

Focus: Central idea + most important details
Practice: "What is the MAIN thing the author wants us to learn?"
Discuss: Which details MUST be included? Which can be left out?
Continue Practice Worksheet (questions 6-10)

Day 4: Key vs. Minor Details 45 min

Sort details: "Must include" vs. "Can leave out"
Practice recognizing irrelevant or minor details
Write summaries together, revising for length
Complete Practice Worksheet (questions 11-14)

Day 5: Assessment & Review 45 min

Quick review of summary elements for both text types
Administer FAST Practice Quiz (timed: 25 minutes)
Review answers together, discussing common errors
Send home Parent Activity Guide

Teaching Strategies

The Shrink Ray

Tell students: "Imagine you have a shrink ray that makes things smaller. A summary is like shrinking a whole story into a tiny version—only the most important parts fit!"

Hand Summary

Use fingers for fiction: Thumb=Characters, Pointer=Setting, Middle=Problem, Ring=Key Events, Pinky=Solution. Students can count on their hand.

Would It Change the Story?

Ask: "If we left this detail out, would someone still understand the story?" If yes, it's probably not key. If no, it must be included.

Movie Trailer Pitch

Have students pretend they're making a movie trailer—only include the parts that would make someone want to see the movie!

Materials in This Kit

Resource	Description	When to Use
Student Concept Worksheet	Introduces summarizing with SWBST strategy and practice	Day 1 introduction
Practice Worksheet	14 questions covering fiction and nonfiction summaries	Days 2-4 practice
FAST Practice Quiz	10-question assessment mirroring actual FAST format	Day 5 assessment
Parent Activity Guide	Home activities for practicing summarizing skills	Ongoing home support
Answer Keys	Complete answers with explanations for all worksheets	Teacher/parent reference

Teacher Guide: Summarizing

Florida B.E.S.T. Standard