SCREAMIN' GOOD SUMMARY - FREEBIE

If you follow my blog, you know that I have been workin' on a summary freebie for you.  I released my Rockin' Retell pack a week or so ago and I always like to offer up a FREE idea with each new collection . . . it can't just be all about the paid pack in my book.    

With this said, I offered up a different freebie that day because I wanted to make sure that the retell idea I came up with was a true gem and not some cubic zirconia wannabe.  So, I tested this activity with my babes on Friday.  Low and behold, it was a HUGE hit.  I got some of the best summary work out of them I've seen this year . . . and on a Friday to boot!  

Screamin' Good Summary . . . fitting name don't ya think??!!  The picture proved to be just the "hook" that my kids needed to get excited about a regular old story retell :)  The steps are easy . . . 

STEP ONE 

Take photos of your babes pretending to scream.  I had them stare at a tree and fake yell at it . . . some really got into the whole process.  I experimented with all different angles and I used my phone camera to take the shots below. This angle and "closeness" works best with my template.  

STEP TWO

Print your photos - full size (one to a page).  I splurged and printed mine out in color.  However, I see this working with black and white photos too . . . you could even have your kiddos use colored pencils to add fun colored highlights :) 

STEP THREE 

Trim your photos.  Cut tightly around each kid . . . yes it's time consuming, but it truly makes the project when it's done right (I didn't trust my firsties to cut as carefully as I wanted . . . call me controlling).  So, I knocked mine out during a rerun of Castle - less than an hour.

STEP FOUR 

Print the template.  Make sure you click "actual size" when your printer screen pops up.  If the printer "shrinks to fit," your template won't work as well (you'll need smaller photos).

CLICK HERE to grab this template!
Huge thanks to Michelle Oakes for her Fabulous Fonts!

STEP FIVE 

Read a story to your babes (I ran with Russell The Sheep because it always seems to be a great "giggle getter").  When finished, have them write a summary of the story they just heard in the speech bubble.  I provided an outline for my firsties . . .

• Russell The Sheep was a _______ book.
• In the beginning, __________________.
• In the middle, ____________________.
• At the end, _______________________.
• Clearly, this book was ______________.

I also see this activity working well as a follow up to a silent reading period.  The kids could read a book to themselves and then draft a retell.  Each summary would be different and you could host an author's chair.  

STEP SIX 

I let my kids decorate the background of this template with crayons, Twistables, and colored pencils before they attached their photo.  I wanted them to "pop" more when I hung them in the window.  As they finished, I went around and helped glue the photos down and trim up the edges (the photos kinda hang off the side when you position them).  

Well . . . that's all.  Six steps kinda seems like a lot, but it's a very easy activity. The kids truly loved this activity and they all bought into the extra "sizzle" this one has to offer.   

  

Alright, I am off to plan for next week and work on my 3D Shape pack a bit more.  If you liked Screamin' Summaries, be sure to check out my Rockin' Retell Pack . . . it's stuffed with similar "out of the box" ideas that make writing summaries fun for kids!