comprehending :: determining importance :: sharing thinking :: derivative ::

paraphrase

"Paraphrasing helps students monitor their understanding and encourages them to access what they already know about a topic. It makes it clear to them that understanding is the goal of reading." (Kletzien, S. B., 2009, p. 76) 

Working Definition

Paraphrasing is the act of communicating the meaning and intent of the text in words generated by the reader. This may be conducted either orally or in written form.

Prompts

• Find a passage that the author wrote that you would like to rewrite in your own words. Record the original passage along with your paraphrasing. Remember to use your own words to express the same idea as the author.
• Find a famous quote that is more than a single sentence. Use your own words and paraphrase the quote.
• Read another student's paraphrasing. Did what they wrote mean about the same thing as the original text that was paraphrased? Why or why not?

© 2014, Robert Pottle