What is Your Child Learning?
Eighth graders are learning to write objective summaries - summaries that contain only facts, without personal opinions or judgments. They're also learning to identify central ideas (the main point of a text) and distinguish between summary (what a text says) and analysis (how or why it works).
This is a critical skill for academic success, professional communication, and evaluating information in daily life.
Key Vocabulary
Objective: Based on facts only - no personal opinions or feelings
Subjective: Includes personal opinions, feelings, or judgments
Central Idea: The main point or most important concept in a text
Summary: A brief statement of what a text says (no interpretation)
Analysis: Explaining how or why something works (interpretation)
Activities to Try at Home
📺 News Summary Practice
After watching a news segment together:
- Ask your child to summarize what happened in 2-3 sentences
- Check for opinion words ("I think," "obviously," "good," "bad")
- Ask: "What is the MAIN point of this story?"
- Discuss: "How would you summarize this to someone who didn't watch?"
📚 Book/Movie Summary Challenge
After your child reads a chapter or you watch a movie together:
- Challenge them to summarize in exactly 3 sentences
- First attempt: Let them say it naturally
- Second attempt: Remove any opinions ("It was boring/exciting")
- Third attempt: Focus only on central events/ideas
Key skill: Compression without opinion!
🍽️ Dinner Conversation Summaries
Practice summary skills during everyday conversations:
- "Sum up your day in three sentences - just facts!"
- "What was the main point of your teacher's lesson today?"
- "If you had to tell grandma about this show in one sentence, what would you say?"
🔍 Opinion Word Hunt
Make it a game to spot opinion words:
- Read a short article together
- Hunt for opinion words: "I think," "obviously," "amazing," "boring," "good/bad"
- Practice removing them: How would you say the same thing objectively?
- Discuss why objectivity matters in certain contexts
Parent Tip: Model Objective Language
Notice when you use opinion language and practice rephrasing:
Instead of: "That was a terrible movie."
Try: "The movie was about X. It had slow pacing and an unclear ending."
Instead of: "The news story was really scary."
Try: "The news reported that X happened, affecting Y people."
This shows your child how to separate facts from reactions!
Questions to Practice Summary Skills
- Finding central idea: "What is this MOSTLY about?"
- Condensing: "How would you say that in one sentence?"
- Checking objectivity: "Is that a fact or your opinion?"
- Summary vs. analysis: "Are you saying WHAT it says or HOW it works?"
- Focus: "What's the MAIN point, not every detail?"
Summary vs. Analysis Examples
Summary (WHAT)
"The article discusses how recycling programs reduce waste in cities."
(Reports what the text says)
Analysis (HOW/WHY)
"The author uses statistics to convince readers that recycling programs are effective."
(Interprets how the text works)
📱 Text Message Summary
Practice condensing in a familiar format:
- "Summarize this article like you're texting a friend who hasn't read it"
- Limit: 2 texts worth of content (forces condensation)
- Rule: No "I think" or opinions - just the facts they need to know
Informacion para Padres (Spanish Summary)
Que esta aprendiendo su hijo? Los estudiantes de octavo grado aprenden a escribir resumenes objetivos - resumenes que solo contienen hechos, sin opiniones personales. Tambien aprenden a identificar la idea central y distinguir entre resumen (lo que dice un texto) y analisis (como o por que funciona).
Palabras a evitar en resumenes: "Yo creo," "obviamente," "increible," "aburrido," "bueno/malo"
Actividad en casa: Despues de ver las noticias juntos, pida a su hijo que resuma lo que paso en 2-3 oraciones sin usar palabras de opinion.
Preguntas para practicar:
- "De que se trata principalmente esto?"
- "Como lo dirias en una sola oracion?"
- "Eso es un hecho o tu opinion?"