What is summarizing and what are its seven uses?

Summarizing is a pretty demanding cognitive task for readers at all levels.

1. Make sure to include all information that is important.

2. Leave out information that might be interesting, but not important (extra supporting details or description).

3. Put the details in the same order in which they appear in the text.

4. Don’t repeat information, even if it’s repeated in the text.

5. Use key vocabulary from the text when you can.

6. Combine ideas or events that go together.

7. Use category words instead of lists of words (e.g. vegetables instead of carrots, beans and corn).