Unit Plan 33 (Grade PreK ELA): Summarizing & Retelling Key Ideas
PreK informational comprehension unit: students identify a text’s main topic and key details, then create oral and visual summaries using drawings and labels. Through guided discussions and questioning, they build early summarizing, listening, and comprehension skills.
Focus: Main topic + key details; oral/visual summaries
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Informational Comprehension • Oral Language • Emergent Writing)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session (use two short blocks if needed)
I. Introduction
This week children learn to figure out what an informational text is mostly about (the main topic) and to name 2–3 key details that teach about that topic. Through picture walks, sticky-note hunts, and kid-made visual summaries, students practice sharing topic + details aloud and confirming understanding by asking/answering a question.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Identify the main topic of a short informational text using pictures and headings (RI.PK.2).
- Select 2–3 key details that tell about the topic (RI.PK.2).
- Create a brief oral summary that includes topic + details (RI.PK.2; SL.PK.2).
- Produce a visual summary (drawing + labels) that matches the topic and details (W.PK.8).
- Confirm understanding by asking/answering one question about a read-aloud or peer share (SL.PK.2).
Standards Alignment — PreK
- RI.PK.2 With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
- SL.PK.2 Confirm understanding of a text read aloud/ information presented by asking/answering questions.
- W.PK.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
Success Criteria — student language
- “This book is mostly about __.”
- “A key detail is __ and another is __.”
- “My summary is: [Topic] + [Detail 1] + [Detail 2].”
- “I asked ___ to check that I understood.”