What's the big idea? That's a question students are asked all the time in papers, assessments, and standardized writing tests of every sort. Whether summarizing research sources or synopsizing the plot of a two-hundred page novel, the ability to cut through extraneous details and describe the major themes and highlights of a text is key to success in school and in life. Until now, however, summarization has been difficult to teach and learn, but with "Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Retelling," you'll discover a powerful and practical way to teach these vital skills."Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Retelling" is a slim, do-it-all guide that presents everything you need for teaching kids to separate out trivial items in their reading and then identify and communicate the main ideas and crucial details. Emily Kissner breaks summarization down into smaller, more manageable skills-such as paraphrasing, writing synopses, retelling, and restating the main-idea-illustrating what good summarizat
