• Students select only the most important ideas from the text.
• Only the most significant details are used to support the main ideas.
• The report reflects the author's underlying meaning.
• Students use their own words, except for quotations.

Good Summaries:

• Are 1/3 to 1/4 of a 1-3 page text, which may not be true of extreme
  summaries.
• Are highly organized and easy to understand.
• May have more than one paragraph.
• Contain very little copying from the original text.
• Do not include questions, dialogue, or extraneous information.

Steps to Effective Summaries:

• Determine author's main idea
• Prioritize the main points made in the text
• Support the points with significant detail
• Paraphrase ideas and detail
• End with the author's underlying meaning.