Does+making+a+summary+in+your+head+or+writing+down+a+summary+help+reading+comprehension+after+reading+a+passage?-+Lisa,+Katie+Anne,+and+Julianna

=__**Research Question:**__= =Does making a "mental summary" or writing down a summary help reading comprehension after reading a passage?=

__**Hypothesis or Hypothesies:**__
====We thought that the students who wrote out their summary would have a better understanding of the passage (and therefore a better test score) because they are "forced" to write it down & there is a lesser chance of them forgetting the material.====

__**Controlled Variables:**__

 * ====same passage read by all test subjects (at a seventh grade reading level)====
 * ====same 5 question quiz taken by all test subjects====
 * ====same instructions given to all test subjects====
 * ====same room/environment all test subjects were in====

__**Observations, Data Tables, & Graphs:**__

 * ====the age of the test subject didn't really seem to matter====
 * ====only one person got 100% on the 5 question quiz====
 * ====the people who made mental summaries ended up having a higher test score than those who wrote out a summary====

We now understand that if a student makes a mental summary after reading they will have a higher score than someone who wrote a summary - most of the time.
====We understand that different people read and learn differently. This means that summaries may not help someone in the same way it helps someone else. Some people may not benefit from making mental or written summaries at all.====

__**Recommendation(s):**__
====__Teachers__: Have students make a mental summary after reading to help with reading comprehension. Make the written summary a choice - different students learn differently. Making some sort of summary should help with reading comprehension. After each student has a summary in their head, have them partner up and share their summary with their partner out loud. This process, according to our results, should hopefully help with the students' reading comprehension.==== ====__Students__: Try to sum up an article or other passage of reading after reading it in your head (mentally) to help with reading comprehension. A summary should help you understand the reading better. It's almost like forcing yourself to find the main idea of the reading and thinking it over more.====