AVID Strategies for Reading:GIST

Renee Blackmon

Michelle Chandler-Barnes

What is GIST?

• Gist is a comprehension strategy that is used both during reading and after reading. It is one approach to summarizing a text. When using GIST, students create summaries that are 20 words or less for increasingly large amounts of text.

• The end product is a 20 word summary that is tight and precise.

How does it work?

1. Define what the "gist" of something is.2. Read the first paragraph/section of the assigned reading.

The size of the section will depend upon the grade level and size of the complete text.

3. Write a 20 word summary that describes the main idea in that section.

4. Read the second paragraph/section of the assigned reading.

5. Write a 20 word summary that combines the material in the first gist statement and the new material.

6. Continue this procedure until a 20 word summary is created for the entire reading.

How can GIST be used in your class?

1. Use as a class warm up to review the previous day’s learning.

2. Use as during the middle of the day to summarize key concepts learned already.

3. Use as a TOTD to summarize learning for the day.

4. Assign with reading homework, showing evidence of what the student has learned while completing the reading assignment.

How can GIST be used in your class?

5. Assign as a formative assessment to evaluate learning.

6. Assign a GIST on your summative assessment.

7. Increase the number of words you want to use in your GIST until students get the hang of it.

Final Thoughts

If your students are reluctant to new strategies, consider using GIST with a fun topic to get them use to the idea of condensing their thoughts.

AVID II Students: GIST Three Little Bears:

“ Three pigs built houses of straw, stick and brick. The brick house survived, the others were destroyed by the wolf.”