Summarise issues found in the texts heard

Summarising helps us:

• Remember the key points of a story or text
• Share information with others quickly
• Show that we understood what we heard

Follow these steps to summarise well:

1. Listen carefully to the story or text.
2. Identify the main idea — ask yourself: What is this story mostly about?
3. Find supporting details — the important facts that explain the main idea.
4. Leave out small details — things that are not necessary to understand the story.
5. Put it in your own words — paraphrase (say it in a different way).

Listen to this story called "Road accident":

Last week, I visited my aunt in a nearby district. On the way, our bus stopped suddenly. We saw four people getting off the bus. A schoolboy was lying on the road. He was hurt badly. A car had hit him while crossing the road. Next to him was a school bag. A man opened it and found an exercise book. On the cover, the name "Baraka Musa" was written. Inside the book, there was a phone number. The man called Baraka's father. Baraka's father came quickly in a taxi. They took Baraka to hospital. Later, we heard that Baraka got better and he was discharged.

Step 1: Find the Main Idea

The main idea is: A schoolboy was hit by a car and rushed to hospital.

Step 2: Find Supporting Details

Important details that support the main idea:

• The boy's name was Baraka Musa.
• A man found Baraka's phone number in his school bag.
• Baraka's father came and took him to the hospital.
• Baraka got better and left the hospital.

Step 3: Write the Summary

Here is a summary of the story:

A schoolboy named Baraka Musa was hit by a car while crossing the road. A man found his name and phone number in his school bag and called his father. Baraka's father came in a taxi and took him to the hospital, where he recovered.

This summary includes the main idea and two supporting details. It is much shorter than the original story but still tells the most important information.

When you summarise a poem, you also look for:

• The main message or theme
• Key images or words that stand out
• What the poet wants the reader to feel or learn

For example, if you hear a poem about a Tanzanian village, your summary might say: "The poem describes the beauty of village life and the importance of community."

• Paraphrase: Use different words. For example, instead of "the boy was hurt badly," you can say "the boy was seriously injured."
• Use connecting words: Words like first, next, then, and finally help organise your summary.
• Keep it short: A summary is shorter than the original text.
• Stay true to the story: Don't add ideas that were not in the original text.

Listen to a story about a girl and a frog. Then answer:

1. What is the main idea of the story?
2. What are two supporting details?
3. Write a two-sentence summary of the story.

When you listen to the news on the radio in Tanzania or hear someone tell you about something that happened at school, you can use summarising skills to tell your family about it later. For example, after hearing a story about a market day at your school, you can say to your parent: "Today, pupils sold vegetables at the market. They learned how to count money and handle customers. Everyone enjoyed it." This shows you understood the main points and can share them with others.