Reading Strategy: GIST

(Generating Interactions between Schemata & Texts)

Purpose:
This strategy will help students learn to write organized and concise
summaries of their reading. It can be used to organize notes for class
discussion, research, essay writing, and test preparation.
Procedure:
1. For modeling this strategy to the students, find a short paragraph that
presents a concept, event, time period, description, problem,
sequential instructions, etc.

2. Read the first sentence to the class, then ask students to work together
to write a summary of the contents of the first sentence in fifteen
words or less.

3. Write the group summary on the board. Then, read the second
sentence of the paragraph and ask students to write a summary of the
first two sentences in fifteen words or less.

4. Write the group summary on the board and read the next one or two
sentences in the paragraph. Continue until the paragraph is read and
then ask students to write a summary of the entire paragraph in fifteen
words or less.

5. After modeling the strategy, ask students to apply the strategy to a

chapter of their textbook, article, etc. that they are currently reading in
class.

Tools for Teaching Content Literacy by Janet Allen

GIST

Read the first sentence and summarize

contents in fifteen words or less.

Read second sentence and summarize

first two sentences in fifteen words or
less.

Continue until paragraph is read and

then summarize the entire paragraph
in fifteen words or less.

Paragraph Summary

GIST Summary Writing

GIST stands for Generating Interaction between Schemata and Text. With this
collaborative expository writing activity, students benefit from a systematic method of
summary writing and their comprehension of expository texts is increased. The text is
divided into sections that serve as stopping points for clarification and writing. At each
stopping point, the meaning of the passage is discussed, vocabulary is explained or
clarified, and a single summary sentence is negotiated. The cycle is repeated until the
entire text has been read. The list of sentences generated by the students serves as a
summary for the longer text.
1. Distribute copies of a text. Each text should be divided into four-six sections that
represent logical summarizing points, indicated by a line and the word STOP in the
margins.
2. Explain GIST: students read a portion of a text, stop, and write a sentence that
summarizes the gist of the passage. At the end of the text, students will have written
four six sentences, or a concise summary of the text.

3. Introduce the text to be read, build prior knowledge, and discuss key vocabulary. Read
aloud the first section of the text while students read along silently.
4. Lead a class discussion about important facts from the section, writing the students
ideas on the board.
5. Lead a class discussion about how to formulate ideas into a sentence, allowing students
to share ideas and negotiate these ideas to craft an accurate and precise sentence.
6. Write the agreed-upon sentence on the board, numbering it #1. Students write the
sentence in their notes.
7. Read aloud the second section, following the same sequence as above, and numbering
the agreed-upon sentence #2. Repeat cycle until the text is finished.
8. Discuss how the class has condensed several pages of text into a limited number of
sentences. Reread the series of sentences to check for meaning. Make any changes and
add any necessary transitions so that it serves as a concise summary paragraph.
9. After practicing this strategy as a whole class, small groups within the class may use
the strategy.

Created by Amy LaPierre, Howard-Suamico School District, based on the work of Nancy
Frey, Douglas Fisher, and Ten Hernandez in the December 2003 issue of Voices from the
Middle.