Which strategy is most effective for teaching students to summarize a text?

The "somebody-wanted-but-so" structure is an effective strategy for teaching students to summarize a text because it provides a clear framework that helps students identify the key elements of a narrative. This method encourages learners to pinpoint the main character (somebody), their goal or desire (wanted), the conflict or challenge they face (but), and how that conflict is resolved (so).

By focusing on these specific components, students are guided to distill the essential elements of the story, ensuring that their summaries capture both the plot and the emotional journey of the characters. This structured approach not only simplifies the summarization process but also enhances comprehension, allowing students to better retain and articulate the information from the text. It fosters critical thinking as students analyze the relationships between the elements of the narrative, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of the material they are summarizing.