Reading comprehension can be a struggle, especially if you are working with a particularly difficult text. Lately I have been noticing that my students are complaining about forgetting what they read as soon as they have read it. We’ve been working on strategies they can use in-class and during independent reading assignments at home. This strategy is a throwback to my social studies days, but it works well with any text. Enter: Get the Gist.
Get the Gist asks students to complete a summary on a text after they have read. Then, they complete a 20-word “gist statement” in which they have to condense their learning into only 20 words. (I always say, “Not 19, not 21- 20!”) It is harder than it seems! It also requires students to really think about the text and choose their words carefully.
This resource is available as a free download in my Free Resource Library. To gain access, sign up for my monthly newsletter and the password will be delivered right to your inbox. Don’t worry- I only share things I truly believe will benefit you in the classroom and I only send out an e-mail once a month!
I hope this is a strategy that you will try in your own classroom. Please follow me on Facebook or Instagram and let me know what you think or leave a comment below.
