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Summarise a Text
Grade 4 - Reading - Building Confidence
Worksheet 1
1After reading "The Maple Tree Journal," which summary is most accurate? Every Friday, Tessa measured the maple twig taped beside her window. In March, the buds were tight and brown. By late April, each bud had opened into a small green leaf, and Tessa drew the change beside last month's sketch.
2Which sentence best summarizes the whole passage "Debate Team Switch"?
3The passage says: Mara lined a pizza box with foil and black paper, then covered the opening with clear plastic. At noon, the cheese on her cracker softened quickly, but it melted slowly when clouds covered the sun. Mara wrote both times in her science notebook before changing the angle of the foil. Which choice should be left out of a summary because it is an opinion?
4Which detail belongs in a summary of "The Maple Tree Journal" because it helps explain the central idea?
5Read this possible summary of "Solar Oven Test": "Mara proves that clouds make food cook faster in a solar oven." Why is it weak?
6After reading "River Cleanup Plan," which summary is most accurate? Before the cleanup, Luis sketched the riverbank and marked where trash collected after storms. He asked volunteers to bring gloves, bags, and a bucket for sharp cans. After the group finished, Luis added notes about which spots would need a trash bin next month.
7Which sentence best summarizes the whole passage "Solar Oven Test"?
8The passage says: Before the cleanup, Luis sketched the riverbank and marked where trash collected after storms. He asked volunteers to bring gloves, bags, and a bucket for sharp cans. After the group finished, Luis added notes about which spots would need a trash bin next month. Which choice should be left out of a summary because it is an opinion?
9Which detail belongs in a summary of "River Cleanup Plan" because it helps explain the central idea?
10Read this possible summary of "River Cleanup Plan": "Luis studies fish migration and ignores trash along the river." Why is it weak?
About this worksheet
A useful summary is short, accurate, and focused on the important ideas in the text. Fourth graders often struggle in two opposite ways: they copy nearly every detail, or they make the summary so short that it leaves out the point. This worksheet asks children to compare summaries that are complete, partial, inaccurate, or padded with opinions. The passages are brief enough to reread, but the answer choices are close enough that guessing from memory is risky. When reviewing the page, ask your child to explain why the correct summary includes the central idea and the most important action. Also ask what was left out. Leaving out a small detail is not a mistake; leaving out the reason the passage was written usually is.
What your child will learn
Choose an accurate summary of a passage
Keep the central idea and key details
Leave out minor facts and personal opinions
Notice when a summary changes what happened
Worked example
A passage about Tessa's maple journal should be summarized as watching buds change into leaves, not as only taping a twig to a window.
Common mistake
Picking a sentence from the passage instead of a summary of the whole passage.
Helpful hint
A summary should be shorter than the passage but still tell the main point.
Worksheet 1