tion:SYNTHESIZINGSynthesizing takes the process of summarizing one step further. Instead of just restating the important points from text, synthesizing involves combining ideas and allowing an evolving understanding of text. Into the Book defines synthesizing as “[creating] original insights, perspectives, and understandings by reflecting on text(s) and merging elements from text and EXISTING schema.” For students, the site provides the simpler “Put pieces together to see them in a new way.”As with summarizing, this higher-order thinking skill needs explicit instruction and modeling. In her book Comprehension Connections: Bridges to Strategic READING, Tanny McGregor provides examples of instructional sequences for synthesizing USING common objects (nesting dolls), prompts or sentence starters, and a spiral-shaped graphic ORGANIZER inspired by the notes written and passed by her students. These activities provide the scaffolding needed to support students as they become familiar and then PROFICIENT with the skill and can be used with all types of text.