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Story Summarising Skills

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Story Summarising Skills

Read the story, then choose the details that matter most. A good summary tells the main idea and important events in a few sentences. Leave out small details.

Read the story

The Missing Music Box At the River Sounds Festival, Bodhi and Amira were helping Hudson’s band get ready to play. Just before the show, Hudson noticed that the small music box he used to start the band’s opening tune was missing. The band searched beside the stage, but the music box was nowhere to be seen. Bodhi remembered that Hudson had carried a box of cables to the sound tent. The three friends hurried there and found the music box under a chair. On the way back, they saw a younger child looking worried because a balloon had slipped into a fenced area. Amira asked a festival helper to open the gate safely, and Bodhi returned the balloon. The friends reached the stage just in time. Hudson started the tune, and the band played while the crowd clapped. Hudson thanked Bodhi and Amira for helping him—and the younger child—for helping everyone enjoy the festival.

Find the important parts

Use the story to spot its main idea, problem and solution.

1.What is the main problem in the story?
  • Hudson cannot find the music box he needs for the band.
  • The band has forgotten how to play its song.
  • Bodhi wants to leave the festival early.
  • The crowd cannot hear the music.
2.Which detail best explains how the friends found the music box?
  • Bodhi remembered Hudson had carried cables to the sound tent.
  • A festival helper heard it playing.
  • The band searched the whole festival.
  • The younger child found it by the gate.
3.What happened after the friends found the music box?
4.Which detail is least important to include in a short summary?
  • The friends found the missing music box under a chair.
  • Hudson needed the music box to start the band’s tune.
  • A younger child’s balloon had slipped into a fenced area.
  • The friends hurried to the sound tent.
5.True or false: A good summary should include every small event and detail from the story.
TrueFalse
6.Complete the summary sentence: Hudson’s music box went missing before the band’s show, so Bodhi and Amira helped him .
7.Which is the best summary of the story?
  • At a music festival, Bodhi and Amira helped Hudson find his missing music box and helped a child with a balloon. They returned in time for the band to perform.
  • Hudson played in a band at a festival. The stage had a sound tent and a chair.
  • A child had a balloon, and Bodhi returned it after asking a helper to open a gate.
  • Bodhi and Amira went to a festival where a crowd clapped and listened to music.
8.Write the story’s main idea in one sentence. Include who the story is mostly about and what they do.
9.Put these important events in the order they happened. Write 1, 2 and 3 beside them: ___ The band performed. ___ The friends found the music box. ___ Hudson noticed the music box was missing.
10.Write a two- or three-sentence summary of “The Missing Music Box”. Include the main problem, how it was solved and what happened at the end. Leave out minor details.

3 printable pages

  • Story Summarising Skills, page 1 of 3: Read the story, Find the important parts

    Page 1

  • Story Summarising Skills, page 2 of 3: 2. Which detail best explains how the friends found the music box?

    Page 2

  • Story Summarising Skills, page 3 of 3: 7. Which is the best summary of the story?

    Page 3

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