A printable poster that helps students retell the most important parts in a few sentences.
Grade band: Grades 3–5
What students learn
Students learn how to summarize by finding the main idea, keeping only the important details, and retelling briefly in their own words.
What’s on the poster
A student-friendly definition (A summary is a short retelling of the most important parts in your own words.), 5 short steps to use the strategy, one quick example, and a self-check question students can remember.
Classroom use ideas
- Display it during summarizing and retelling lessons.
- Use it as a checklist before students write a summary.
- Add a mini copy to student reading folders.
- Reference it during book discussions and reading responses.
Download
This poster is free to download in two versions:
For more practice
Pair this poster with related reading practice:
- Use it before a summarizing worksheet or a small-group reading activity.
- For more practice, see our reading comprehension worksheets.