What is Synthesizing
Synthesizing refers to fusing, reordering, recalling, or retelling to create new meaning and understanding. A more practical definition describes synthesizing as merging together new information with existing information to create an original idea, see a new perspective, or form a new line of thinking to achieve insight.
(Harvey and Goudvis, 2000)
Although the most complex of the comprehension strategies, to accurately synthesize when reading, readers need to get to the essence of the text. Therefore, synthesizing isn't just summarizing the text, it involves several two main possible avenues:
(Williams, 2011)
As a student reads and think about the text, it is their thoughts and past knowledge and experiences that creates a deep understanding of the book or the text. The following are some guiding questions to ponder and assist in the synthesizing process:
Using Synthesizing in the classroom
Victoria Davids offers a great explanation of how to incorporate synthesizing and the younger and more advanced levels. She concludes that young readers should view the end of each page as a stop light. They should briefly pause and reflect on what they read to fully digest the parts and construct a meaning before carry through the rest of the text. This type of basic synthesizing may not result in a new, original thought but by stopping and reflecting, students stay on track and allow for thinking to evolve over time.
She goes on to explain that higher level synthesizing goes beyond only inventorying the meaning of text as you read. A reader's thinking will actually change as they ingest new information learned through the text. She uses the example of a rain forest deforestation article pointing to a flaw in the government policy of forestry. A students could form an opinion of the shortsightedness of the government. This thinking shows an evolution in thought where the new information from the text combined with the reader's thought to create a new insight.
These examples show that Synthesizing is really a culmination of all comprehension strategies. A student must sift through all of the information available to them in the text and through their own thought and knowledge to create new insight and understanding. (Davids, 2011)
Tie it to writing
Students will use synthesizing in several writing and papers throughout their upper level primary and secondary school years. Students will integrate the relevant facts, statistics, and expert opinions with their own opinion and conclusions to persuade their audiences that their opinion is correct. When students create research, persuasive, or comparing and contrast papers, they will be forced to directly use synthesized thinking to create a successful and compelling paper. This type of writing utilizing synthesizing satisfies two of the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for grade levels 6-12:
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
The following video shows synthesizing as thought process in reading, work, and everyday life. It offers a clear explanation of synthesizing is with easy to understand, real-life examples. This would be a great video to show an upper level class that you are introducing the strategy to.
Synthesizing refers to fusing, reordering, recalling, or retelling to create new meaning and understanding. A more practical definition describes synthesizing as merging together new information with existing information to create an original idea, see a new perspective, or form a new line of thinking to achieve insight.
(Harvey and Goudvis, 2000)
Although the most complex of the comprehension strategies, to accurately synthesize when reading, readers need to get to the essence of the text. Therefore, synthesizing isn't just summarizing the text, it involves several two main possible avenues:
- Retelling the story.
- Explaining how the story or information relates to the readers.
(Williams, 2011)
As a student reads and think about the text, it is their thoughts and past knowledge and experiences that creates a deep understanding of the book or the text. The following are some guiding questions to ponder and assist in the synthesizing process:
- What does the author believe? What shows me what the author is thinking?
- What else have I read that is like this text?
- Has this reading changed my opinion on this topic?
- Does this text make me think differently about things that I know or have experienced in my own life?
Using Synthesizing in the classroom
Victoria Davids offers a great explanation of how to incorporate synthesizing and the younger and more advanced levels. She concludes that young readers should view the end of each page as a stop light. They should briefly pause and reflect on what they read to fully digest the parts and construct a meaning before carry through the rest of the text. This type of basic synthesizing may not result in a new, original thought but by stopping and reflecting, students stay on track and allow for thinking to evolve over time.
She goes on to explain that higher level synthesizing goes beyond only inventorying the meaning of text as you read. A reader's thinking will actually change as they ingest new information learned through the text. She uses the example of a rain forest deforestation article pointing to a flaw in the government policy of forestry. A students could form an opinion of the shortsightedness of the government. This thinking shows an evolution in thought where the new information from the text combined with the reader's thought to create a new insight.
These examples show that Synthesizing is really a culmination of all comprehension strategies. A student must sift through all of the information available to them in the text and through their own thought and knowledge to create new insight and understanding. (Davids, 2011)
Tie it to writing
Students will use synthesizing in several writing and papers throughout their upper level primary and secondary school years. Students will integrate the relevant facts, statistics, and expert opinions with their own opinion and conclusions to persuade their audiences that their opinion is correct. When students create research, persuasive, or comparing and contrast papers, they will be forced to directly use synthesized thinking to create a successful and compelling paper. This type of writing utilizing synthesizing satisfies two of the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for grade levels 6-12:
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
The following video shows synthesizing as thought process in reading, work, and everyday life. It offers a clear explanation of synthesizing is with easy to understand, real-life examples. This would be a great video to show an upper level class that you are introducing the strategy to.
The next video features a teacher reading a poem. She offers excellent prompts for the listener to think about while she reads the text. These prompts are the essence of synthesizing. It also shows the relationship that synthesizing has with several strategies, most specifically fluency and Think Aloud.
References:
Harvey, S., and Goudvis, A.(2000) Strategies That Work. York, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Davids, V. (2011). Synthesizing. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from http://www.blvs.org/gen/blvs/Reading__Synthesizing_p428.html
Williams, S. (2011, February 22). Reading Comprehension Strategies – Synthesizing Information. Retrieved May 26, 2015, from http://blog.rourkeeducationalmedia.com/2012/02/22/reading-comprehension-strategies-synthesizing-information/
Harvey, S., and Goudvis, A.(2000) Strategies That Work. York, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Davids, V. (2011). Synthesizing. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from http://www.blvs.org/gen/blvs/Reading__Synthesizing_p428.html
Williams, S. (2011, February 22). Reading Comprehension Strategies – Synthesizing Information. Retrieved May 26, 2015, from http://blog.rourkeeducationalmedia.com/2012/02/22/reading-comprehension-strategies-synthesizing-information/