Teach students how to identify the main idea and supporting details in nonfiction texts, and use that information to create a concise summary of the content. This skill is important for comprehension and recall, as well as for developing writing skills.
Summarizing nonfiction texts
When you read nonfiction, it's important to identify the main ideas and supporting details. The main idea is what the text is mostly about, while the supporting details provide additional information. Summarizing a nonfiction text means identifying and briefly stating the main idea and supporting details in your own words, without including unnecessary information.
What does it mean to summarize a nonfiction text?
identify, erase, write
When summarizing a nonfiction text, you should read the entire piece first to get a general understanding of the main idea and supporting details. Then, you can break it down into smaller sections and identify what each section is discussing.
How should you start summarizing a nonfiction text?
read, talk, sleep
After breaking the text down into smaller sections and highlighting key information, you can then begin to summarize each section using your own words. Be sure to only include the most important points and leave out anything that is not essential.
What information should you include when summarizing a nonfiction text?
most important points, least important points, all information