Grade: Grade 2 Subject: English Language Arts Unit: Comprehension Strategies Lesson: 4 of 6 SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Writing Application: Summarizing What You Read

Learn

A summary is a short retelling of what you read. It includes only the most important information. Good readers can summarize what they read to show they understand it.

Why Summarize?

It helps you remember what you read
It shows you understood the main ideas
It helps you share stories with others
It is a skill you will use on tests

How to Write a Summary

Follow these steps to write a good summary:

Read the whole text first - Make sure you understand it
Find the main idea - What is the text mostly about?
Pick the important details - What are the key facts?
Write in your own words - Do not copy the text
Keep it short - Only include what matters most

Writing Tip: A summary should be much shorter than the original text. If the story has 10 sentences, your summary might only have 2-3 sentences!

Summary Starters

Here are some ways to begin your summary:

"This story is about..."
"In this text, I learned that..."
"The main idea is..."
"This passage tells us..."

Examples

Original Text:

"Honeybees are very busy insects. They live in hives with thousands of other bees. Worker bees fly from flower to flower collecting nectar. They bring the nectar back to the hive and turn it into honey. Bees also help flowers grow by spreading pollen. Without bees, we would not have many of our favorite fruits and vegetables!"

Good Summary:

"This text is about honeybees. Bees live in hives and make honey from flower nectar. They also help plants grow by spreading pollen, which is important for our food."

Why This Summary Works:

It tells what the text is about
It includes the main ideas (making honey, helping plants)
It is much shorter than the original
It uses the writer's own words

Original Story:

"Max was a little puppy who loved to play. One day, he found a big red ball in the yard. Max pushed the ball with his nose. He chased it around and around. When Max got tired, he took a nap in the sunny spot by the fence. When he woke up, he played with the ball again!"

Good Summary:

"This story is about Max, a playful puppy who found a red ball. He played with it, took a nap, and then played some more."

Practice

Read each passage and write a 1-2 sentence summary.

Practice 1

"Apples come in many colors. Some apples are red, some are green, and some are yellow. Red apples are often sweet. Green apples can be sour. Yellow apples taste a little bit of both. All apples are healthy snacks!"

Write your summary:

_______________________________________________

Practice 2

"Rosa loved to paint. Every Saturday, she would set up her easel in the backyard. She painted flowers, trees, and birds. Sometimes her cat would sit and watch. Rosa gave her paintings to her grandparents, and they hung them on their walls."

Write your summary:

_______________________________________________

Practice 3

"The sun is a star. It is the closest star to Earth. The sun gives us light and heat. Without the sun, Earth would be dark and very cold. Plants need sunlight to grow. Animals and people need plants for food."

Write your summary:

_______________________________________________

Practice 4

"Turtles are reptiles that carry their homes on their backs. Their shells protect them from danger. When a turtle is scared, it pulls its head and legs inside its shell. Sea turtles can swim very fast, but land turtles move slowly."

Write your summary:

_______________________________________________

Practice 5

"Leo wanted to learn how to ride a bike. At first, he fell down many times. His dad held the back of the seat to help him balance. Leo practiced every day after school. After two weeks, Leo could ride all by himself!"

Write your summary:

_______________________________________________

Practice 6

"Ants are tiny but very strong. An ant can carry something 50 times heavier than itself! Ants work together in colonies. Some ants find food. Other ants protect the queen. They use teamwork to do big jobs."

Write your summary:

_______________________________________________

Practice 7

"Maya got a new puppy named Spot. Spot was small and fluffy with brown spots. Maya taught Spot to sit and stay. She fed Spot every morning and took him for walks. Spot and Maya became best friends."

Write your summary:

_______________________________________________

Practice 8

"Water can be a solid, liquid, or gas. Ice is frozen water - it is solid. The water you drink is liquid. Steam from hot water is a gas. Water changes form when it gets hotter or colder."

Write your summary:

_______________________________________________

Practice 9

"The class put on a play about the three little pigs. Sam played the wolf. Mia, Tom, and Jade were the three pigs. They practiced their lines for a month. On show day, all the parents came to watch. Everyone clapped at the end!"

Write your summary:

_______________________________________________

Practice 10

"Recycling helps our planet. When we recycle paper, we save trees. When we recycle plastic, less trash goes in the ocean. Recycling cans means we use less energy to make new ones. Everyone can recycle to help Earth!"

Write your summary:

_______________________________________________

Check Your Understanding

Read this longer passage and write a complete summary.

"The rainforest is home to many amazing animals. Colorful parrots fly through the tall trees. Monkeys swing from branch to branch looking for fruit. Jaguars hunt on the forest floor. Tree frogs live in the leaves high above the ground. Millions of insects buzz and crawl everywhere. The rainforest also has many plants. Giant trees grow so tall they block the sunlight. Vines climb up the tree trunks. Beautiful flowers bloom in bright colors. The rainforest is one of the most special places on Earth because so many living things make their home there."

Write a 2-3 sentence summary of this passage:

_______________________________________________

Summary Checklist:

Did you include the main idea?
Did you mention important details?
Did you use your own words?
Is your summary shorter than the original?

Next Steps

Practice summarizing stories you read at home
Tell a family member what a book was about in just 2-3 sentences
Try summarizing a TV show or movie
Move on to the next lesson when ready