Summarising Skills

Overview

In this fourth lesson of a 30-lesson EAL unit, students practise summarising short texts. They will learn and apply a simple “who/what/when/where + key idea” approach, focusing on comprehension of high-frequency, familiar topics.

Learning intentions

• WALT read short, simple texts and identify key information.
• WALT use a consistent summarising framework to write a short summary.
• WALT check that my summary matches the original text (accuracy) and stays shorter than the original (focus).
• WALT use linking words to make my summary clear and logical.

Success criteria

• I can underline the 3–5 most important points in a short article.
• I can write a summary of 2–4 sentences using the “key idea + details” framework.
• I can remove extra information and avoid copying whole sentences from the text.
• I can check my summary for accuracy and clarity.

Curriculum links

• Learning Languages: Receptive skills / Reading — read and understand key information in short, simple texts with high-frequency everyday language about familiar matters, including short narratives.
• Learning Languages: European Languages introduction / Reading and During Novice 2 (Receptive skills) — understand key information using familiar contexts, simple structures, and repeated language.
• Te Mātaiaho Learning Languages (Year 9 context): ongoing higher intensity programmes build reading comprehension and language control through purposeful practice.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Activate prior knowledge (Discussion). Teacher shows an example sentence from a previous text (“In my town, we have…”), then asks: “What is important information? What is extra?” Students turn and talk, then share one idea.

2. 5–15 min · Modelling: What a good summary does. Teacher displays a short article (3–5 paragraphs maximum) about a familiar topic (e.g., school club, weekend activity). Teacher reads aloud twice, then models a think-aloud:

• Step A: Find the key idea (what the text is mainly about).
• Step B: Select 3–4 key details (who/what/when/where).
• Step C: Write a short summary in my own words. Students watch for the difference between “full retell” and “summary.”

3. 15–25 min · Guided reading with highlighting (Teacher support). Teacher hands out Text A. Students read silently, then with a partner. Students highlight evidence using colour codes:

• Yellow = main idea sentence/phrase
• Green = key details (3–4)
• Pink = details that can be removed Teacher circulates, prompting with sentence stems: “The text is mainly about…”, “One key detail is…”, “This part is extra because…”

4. 25–38 min · Sentence frames: Build the summary (Supported writing). Teacher introduces a simple framework on the board:

• Frame 1 (main idea): “This text is about ___.”
• Frame 2–3 (key details): “It says ___ and ___.” / “The article explains ___, so ___.”
• Optional cohesion: “First… / Also… / Finally…” Students write their first draft summary using 2–4 sentences. Teacher emphasises: avoid copying long phrases; keep only key information.

5. 38–50 min · Peer check: Accuracy + focus. Students swap summaries with a partner. Using a checklist, they respond with “glow and grow”:

• Glow: “Your summary includes the main idea and key details.”
• Grow: “One extra detail could be removed,” or “One key detail is missing.” Students then revise one sentence to improve clarity or accuracy.

6. 50–57 min · Whole-class debrief (Quick sharing). Teacher selects 2–3 volunteer summaries (or reads anonymised versions). Class identifies:

• Which summary is the clearest and why (linking words, sentence order, fewer extra details).
• Where a summary might not be accurate (misread detail).

7. 57–60 min · Exit ticket (Assessment for learning). Students complete a short exit ticket:

• “The main idea of Text A is…” (one sentence)
• “One key detail I included is…” (one phrase)

Resources

• Printed short article (Text A) at an accessible EAL reading level (approx. 200–300 words)
• Teacher model text (same topic) for display
• Highlighters or coloured pencils (yellow/green/pink)
• Summary framework card with sentence stems
• Peer checklist (accuracy and focus)
• Exit ticket slips
• Timer for writing stages

Assessment

• Teacher observation during guided highlighting (checks for correct main idea and key detail selection).
• Checking drafts and revisions using the success criteria (accuracy, brevity, own words, clarity).
• Exit ticket responses to confirm understanding of main idea and key detail selection.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence frames and a word bank taken from the text (e.g., names, places, activity verbs). Allow highlighting before writing to reduce cognitive load.
• Support (EAL): Offer an “example summary” with parts blanked out so students can complete with key details.
• Extension: Challenge students to include one cause/effect connector if the text supports it (e.g., “because”, “so”, “therefore”), while still keeping the summary short.
• SEN/EAL considerations: Permit oral rehearsal of the summary with a partner before writing; use chunked reading (paragraph-by-paragraph) for students who need it.

Formative assessment focus (during the lesson)

• Are students identifying the main idea and selecting only key details?
• Are summaries using own words and staying shorter than the source?
• Are linking words and sentence order improving clarity?