One course requirement is to write a certain number of summaries of reading assignments over the course of the semester. This requirement serves several purposes. First, it helps to keep students on-task so they do not fall behind in reading the assignments. As time pressures on students increase, reading is one of the first things they tend to drop. If you write summaries regularly, you are less likely to be unprepared when there is an exam or paper assignment in the course. Failure to keep up with the scheduled assignments is a recipe for disaster in a college course. Summaries give you strong incentives, both positive and negative, to keep up - there are grade penalties for too few summaries and credit for the participation component of the grade when you meet the course requirement. Second, summaries force you to focus your reading because you need to identify and express in your own words the main point of the chapter or article. You cannot write an accurate summary unless you make careful choices about what is important or central in a text. Third, because the summary has a maximum length (see class syllabus), you have to learn to filter out material that is not essential - that doesn't contribute to the author's central argument. A summary is not simply a compilation of random notes. Your task is to identify the author's main points and key evidence. You have to edit yourself because I will not accept summaries that run longer than the maximum stated in the syllabus. If you do the summary well, it can be a very handy device when the time comes to review for an exam. Fourth, summaries give you a chance to work on writing weaknesses without suffering grade penalties. I usually indicate one or two recurring writing problems that I identify. By focusing on just a couple of writing weaknesses, you can learn to correct them.

        A summary should restate the author's main points in the order they've been presented. When a text contains headings, follow these as a guide in organizing your summary. If a text has four main units, each set off by a heading, you should expect to have a paragraph on each unit. The failure to divide a summary into paragraphs is a warning sign that you haven't followed the structure of the author's argument. Your summary may be rejected because it lacks organization. It is also important that you summarize the entire argument, not just the first few pages. I reject summaries that do not go beyond what is in the first few pages of the assignment. A rejected summary cannot be redone. You will have to do another one for a later class session. (A reminder: late summaries are never accepted, as the syllabus indicates.)

        The summary is supposed to express the author's views, not yours. Although you are not barred from expressing your reaction to what you read, you also don't get credit for it. If you devote too much space to your view and too little to the text, expect to see me reject the summary. In expressing the author's main points, you should put them in your own language. That is a key device for demonstrating reading comprehension. There should not be more than three line of direct quotation per page in a summary. When you quote from the text, put the page number in parentheses at the end of the quote. Page citations are not required otherwise.

        The summary does not need an elaborate heading. Put your name and date on the top left, the course number on the top right. Also indicate which number summary it is, e.g., Summary #5. That helps assure that your count and my record are the same. On the third line identify the reading you are summarizing, be the author and title as these appear in the syllabus.