AVID Strategies for Reading:
GIST
Renee Blackmon
Michelle Chandler-Barnes
What is GIST?
• Gist is a comprehension strategy that is
used both during reading and after
reading. It is one approach to summarizing
a text. When using GIST, students create
summaries that are 20 words or less for
increasingly large amounts of text.
• The end product is a 20 word summary
that is tight and precise.
How does it work?
1. Define what the "gist" of something is.
2. Read the first paragraph/section of the assigned reading.
The size of the section will depend upon the grade level
and size of the complete text.
3. Write a 20 word summary that describes the main idea in
that section.
4. Read the second paragraph/section of the assigned
reading.
5. Write a 20 word summary that combines the material in
the first gist statement and the new material.
6. Continue this procedure until a 20 word summary is
created for the entire reading.
How can GIST be used in your
class?
1. Use as a class warm up to review the previous
day’s learning.
2. Use as during the middle of the day to
summarize key concepts learned already.
3. Use as a TOTD to summarize learning for the
day.
4. Assign with reading homework, showing
evidence of what the student has learned while
completing the reading assignment.
How can GIST be used in your
class?
5. Assign as a formative assessment to
evaluate learning.
6. Assign a GIST on your summative
assessment.
7. Increase the number of words you want to
use in your GIST until students get the
hang of it.
Final Thoughts
If your students are reluctant to new
strategies, consider using GIST with a fun
topic to get them use to the idea of
condensing their thoughts.
AVID II Students: GIST Three Little Bears:
“ Three pigs built houses of straw, stick and
brick. The brick house survived, the others
were destroyed by the wolf.”