I wish I had read Summarization in Any Subject: 50 Techniques to Improve Student Learning by Rick Wormeli before I homeschooled. (See my favorite technique Here)
My second favorite technique is One-Word Summaries, which is not easy as many writers have noted.
I have made this (letter) longer because I have not had time to make it shorter.*
Pascal Translated from French
A One-Word Summary is simply choosing one word to summarize the lesson’s topic and explaining the choice. This method also works with favorite books, Scripture passages, best friends, trips.
Choosing requires processing an experience. Eliminating excess words gets to the heart of a matter.
My husband chose “honor” to describe last year’s trip to Oklahoma.We traveled to honor an inheritance and the man who left it to me.
Explaining solidifies the understanding. We treated my uncle’s possessions and wishes with respect. We did our best to make sure his desires were satisfied.
Which one word summarizes your childhood? Your parenting? Your homeschooling experience?
*Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain—among others—have used variations of Pascal’s statement.
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