Many students arrive in middle school without ever truly learning how to summarize information. They may be able to retell a story in detail, but when asked to cut through the clutter and capture only the essential points, they freeze. For teachers, teaching summarization can feel just as overwhelming — how do we help students move beyond retelling everything to grasping the true essence of a text?

One strategy I love using in my classroom is the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then method (SWBST). This quick, kid-friendly process helps students break down any story into five simple, digestible parts. It’s a way to make summarizing clear, fun, and stress-free for readers of all levels. Whether working on a short story, a novel, or even a movie clip, this tool provides structure that students can rely on.

Why Summarizing Is Hard for Middle Schoolers

Summarizing requires a high level of comprehension and synthesis. Students must identify main characters, key conflicts, and outcomes — then condense all of it into just a few sentences. Without a scaffold, many students either:

• Retell the whole story with too much detail, or
• Struggle to include enough detail, leaving out critical points.

The SWBST strategy solves this problem by breaking summarizing into five simple prompts:

• Somebody – Who’s the main character?
• Wanted – What did they want?
• But – What got in their way?
• So – What did they do about it?
• Then – How did it all end?

Introducing SWBST with Grade-Appropriate Picture Books

One of the most effective ways to introduce the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then method is by using picture books that are short, engaging, and age-appropriate for middle school. While students may initially think picture books are “just for little kids,” they quickly discover that many titles aimed at older readers carry humor, irony, or surprising twists that make them perfect for practicing summarizing. Middle schoolers actually enjoy these stories — they appreciate the nostalgia and the quick pacing, and they’re able to focus on the summarizing process without being overwhelmed by long, complex texts. Let’s be real — learning should be fun, and picture books are a great way to keep students engaged.

For example, using The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka allows students to practice SWBST with a familiar tale that flips perspective and sparks debate. Or, try The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, where each crayon has a complaint, giving students multiple characters to summarize and compare. I’ve included a list of picture books that are great for middle school, complete with examples. These are some of my favorites, though the possibilities don’t end here.

EXAMPLES

1. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

• Somebody: The Big Bad Wolf
• Wanted: To borrow a cup of sugar for his grandmother’s cake
• But: The pigs were rude and wouldn’t let him in
• So: He sneezed and their houses fell down
• Then: He was unfairly labeled as the “Big Bad Wolf”.

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2. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

• Somebody: Duncan’s crayons
• Wanted: To be used fairly and not overworked
• But: Each crayon had its own complaint about how Duncan used it
• So: They wrote him letters demanding change
• Then: Duncan learned to be more creative and balanced with his crayons.

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3. Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne

• Somebody: Four different characters who visit the same park
• Wanted: To reach their own simple goals (a walk, time with kids, etc.)
• But: Their perspectives and class differences shaped how they experienced the outing
• So: The story is retold from each point of view
• Then: Readers see how the same event changes depending on who tells it.

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4. Tuesday by David Wiesner

• Somebody: Frogs in a pond
• Wanted: To explore the world outside their pond
• But: They only had lily pads to carry them through the night sky
• So: They flew across town, surprising humans and animals
• Then: By morning, they returned home — and readers are left wondering what will fly next Tuesday.

By starting with these texts, you give students a low-stakes, high-interest entry point into summarizing. The stories are short, funny, or thought-provoking, which allows students to focus on learning the SWBST structure without getting lost in too much text.

Once students have built confidence with the strategy, they are ready to tackle higher-level literature where motives and conflicts are more nuanced. For example, Shakespeare’s Macbeth offers a rich opportunity to apply SWBST. Take Lady Macbeth:

• Somebody: Lady Macbeth
• Wanted: Power and for her husband to become king
• But: Macbeth was hesitant and full of doubt
• So: She persuaded him to murder King Duncan
• Then: Her guilt eventually consumed her, leading to madness and death

This not only helps students capture the central arc of Lady Macbeth’s role in the play, but it also pushes them to think critically about character motivation, conflict, and resolution. By building from picture books to Shakespeare, students see that the same summarizing framework works across all levels of literature — from fairy tales to tragedies.

Applications Across Content Disciplines

One of the greatest strengths of the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then strategy is its ability to transcend English class and support summarizing skills across multiple subject areas. Because the framework is rooted in identifying key players, motives, obstacles, actions, and outcomes, it adapts easily to science, history, and even technical texts. This not only reinforces reading comprehension, but also helps students synthesize information in subjects where dense content can feel overwhelming.

For example, in science:

• Somebody: Scientists at NASA
• Wanted: To study Mars
• But: Limited technology and distance made it difficult
• So: They built new rovers to collect data
• Then: We learned more about Mars’s surface and atmosphere

Here, SWBST helps students summarize complex information in a straightforward way, showing how problems and solutions drive scientific progress.

In social studies, the framework can be applied to historical events or figures:

• Somebody: Abraham Lincoln
• Wanted: To preserve the Union during the Civil War
• But: Southern states seceded
• So: He issued the Emancipation Proclamation and led the war effort
• Then: The Union was preserved, and slavery was abolished

Even in technical or informational reading, SWBST provides students with a roadmap to cut through heavy text and identify essential ideas. This makes it an invaluable tool for cross-curricular literacy instruction, helping students see that summarizing isn’t just an ELA skill — it’s a lifelong skill that supports learning in every discipline.

SWBST in Action

One of the strengths of SWBST is its versatility. Here are just a few ways you can use it in your classroom:

• Exit Ticket – At the end of class, ask students to summarize the day’s reading using SWBST. This provides a quick, low-prep check for understanding that takes only a minute or two.
• Whole-Class Discussion – After reading a story or watching a short film, ask students to share their SWBST sentences on the board. Comparing answers shows how different readers focus on different details — a great way to spark discussion and emphasize that there can be multiple valid summaries of the same text.
• Low-Stakes Assessment – Instead of assigning a full-page written summary or quiz, ask for a simple SWBST response. This reduces pressure on students while still giving you insight into whether they grasped the essentials.
• Group Work – Divide the class into five groups, each responsible for one part of SWBST (Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then). When they combine their sentences, they’ve created a complete summary together — perfect for collaborative learning and peer teaching.
• Cross-Curricular Connections – Use SWBST in science, history, or even technical reading to help students summarize complex informational texts. For example, students might summarize a scientific discovery, a historical turning point, or even a math problem-solving process using the framework.

Why Students Love It

My middle schoolers love this strategy because it feels like a game. Instead of becoming overwhelmed by complicated instructions or the fear of “doing it wrong”, they see how five short prompts can lead to unique, thoughtful summaries. Each student’s version is slightly different, which makes comparing them fun and insightful.

For teachers, it’s a relief too. Rather than grading long summaries filled with unnecessary details, you can quickly scan SWBST sentences to see whether students understood the core of the story. It saves time while still giving meaningful insight into comprehension.

Final Thoughts

Summarizing doesn’t have to be intimidating. The Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then method gives students a clear, structured path to success. It’s flexible enough for fairy tales, Shakespeare, novels, nonfiction articles, and even STEM content. It works as an exit ticket, a discussion starter, a group project, or a quick formative assessment. Most importantly, it helps students build confidence in a skill that will serve them across all subjects and throughout their lives.

By teaching students to see stories — or informational texts — through the lens of character, desire, conflict, action, and resolution, we equip them with the tools to cut through the noise and focus on what really matters. Once they see how easy it can be, summarizing shifts from something overwhelming to something empowering. Students begin to realize that every story, no matter how complex, can be broken down into a structure they understand and can explain.

When summarizing becomes simple, fun, and accessible, students not only comprehend more — they also feel more capable as readers and thinkers. And that confidence is a gift that will stay with them far beyond your classroom walls.