Chapter 11: Summarizing and Synthesizing Information: The Evolution of Thought

     When we summarize, we pull out the most important information and put it in our own words.  Along the same lines, synthesizing is when background knowledge is reinforced or new ideas provide a new perspective of what is already known (p. 179).  Therefore, synthesizing helps readers "build and enhance understanding" (p. 180).  Both processes teach students strategies for adding information to their "store of knowledge" (p. 180).

Retelling to Summarize Information:
This strategy asks students to use sticky notes to retell one-word ideas from a text.  Students are instructed that when readers summarize, they:

• Remember to tell what is important.
• Tell it in a way that makes sense.
• Try not to tell too much (p. 181).

The sticky notes are used to record the most important information that students can then write a summary from.

Comparing and Contrasting in Science and Social Studies:
A key aspect of synthesizing is making connections.  Three-column notes can be used to compare and contrast information in science and social studies.  Contrasting ideas go in the outer two columns while similarities are noted in the middle.  This form can help students understand "two different properties or concepts" (p. 185).

Summarizing the Content and Adding Personal Response
In addition to summarizing the material that has been read, it is important to integrate the reader's own thinking with the text and get the reader's personal reaction and reflection.  One strategy used to summarize and generate a personal response calls for the reader to divide a sheet of notebook paper horizontally; the top half of the paper will be devoted to a summary while the bottom half of the paper will be for the reader's response to the text.  This strategy is also a scaffold than can be used in a later kind of writing called a Summary Response (p. 185).  The Summary Response allows the students to combine the two elements.  A Summary Response includes a summary of the most important content, along with the writer's personal response throughout the piece rather than simply as an addendum to the summary (p.185).

Writing a Short Summary
When using this strategy, students are taught to distinguish between a summary of the text and their own thinking.  A two-column think sheet is headed What the Piece Is About/What It Makes Me Think About. Students are then asked to remember the following things when writing a summary.

1.  Pick out the most important ideas
2.  Keep it brief
3.  Say it in your own words in a way that makes sense (p. 189).

Synthesis to Access Content
Reading and understanding requires a great deal of ongoing thinking (p. 195).  To make students aware of this ongoing thinking process and to allow them to articulate their thinking, a two-column form is used with the following headings:  Content (Facts) and Process (Thinking).  The form requires readers to keep track of their evolving thinking, commenting ontheir process of synthesizing information by noting information of the content side of the form and noticing what they did to access that information onthe process side of the form (p. 193).

Readers can put the pieces together
 through content, process, and craft. 

After the students have had practice with this strategy, the form can be modified and used for the strategy entitled Reading Like a Writer.   With this strategy, students add a third column entitled Craft.  The "Craft" column allows students to note and respond to the writing style.  According to Harvey & Goudis, the three column form of Content, Process, and Craft is the ultimate synthesizing response form.  If readers can record factual content, explain their thinking process while reading, and reflect on writing, they are well on their way to becoming truly literate thinkers (p. 196).




Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension for                understanding and engagement. (2nd ed.) Portland, Maine: Stenhouse