Currently in SFA we are working on the skill of summarizing. We have moved out of clarifying (although we still do this on a daily basis) and the focus in on how to get the students to identify what is most important about what they've read. If you've ever asked your child what a movie was about, you probably get the extended version! They want to tell you every detail (because it all seems great!) but what they don't know is they're losing their audience. In SFA, we have 3 steps to summarizing. The first is to retell the important events or ideas. This includes using the main characters, the setting, story problem, important events, and the solution and ending. The second step is to leave out less-important information. The third step is to keep it short. I'm sending home today a couple story maps with each student in my SFA class for you to copy and use at home. If your child isn't in my class, feel free to ask his or her teacher for a story map. We all have them and teachers are happy to share! Use these story maps as your child reads a book. The events should always connect to the problem. It's a great way to prepare to write a summary and of course, great preparation for the OAA! Here is a a couple links to similar story maps that we use in class:
Story Map Organization You will have to save this one to your computer before printing it
Happy Mapping!
