Secondary Content Teachers

COMPREHENSION
Main Idea

 

Reading Services Center

SUBJECT:

Comprehension - Main Idea

COURSE OR GRADE:

Literature/Social Studies

GOAL:

This strategy enables students to comprehend both fiction and nonfiction by building the ability to determine the main idea of a passage.

Supports this Learner Characteristic:

  • Has reading skills consistent with reading tasks required

WHY:

Before students can determine the global idea of a selection, they must be able to distinguish the author's purpose (entertain, inform, persuade, provide literary value), the structure of the text (fiction-narrative, nonfiction-expository), and the main idea, so they can read the text with understanding.

WHO:

Students who are not able to understand the main idea in a longer passage or selection.

Content Area Teachers

WHEN:

Use prior knowledge to read any text selection. Continue until the student is able to determine the main idea of a written selection independently.

TEACHING PROCEDURES:

STEP 1:

Select fiction or nonfiction passages about which students have some knowledge.

STEP 2:

Model the following process and Think aloud as the information from the passage is transferred to a graphic organizer.

 

  • Look at the title, headings and pictures. Think: What do you already know about the topic?

  • Predict what the author might say about his topic.

  • Read to find out the significant facts or details.

  • Reread to clarify.

  • Modify the anticipated main idea for each detail.

  • Think about what the facts or details have in common.

  • Decide what the MAIN IDEA is. The main idea is inferred from the significant details in the text.

  • Write a summary paragraph including the essential points and supporting details.

Display the graphic organizer in class.

Provide strategy cards for students to refer to during guided practice.

Teaching Tips
  • Model the procedure by thinking aloud.
  • After modeling, carry out guided, then independent practice.
  • Provide strategy cards for students to refer to during guided practice.
  • To recall what is already known about the topic, brainstorm with the students using a graphic organizer.
  • Use a highlighter (on a copy of the text) to identify significant details, then transfer in brief form to the passage graphic organizer.

STUDENT PRACTICE:
  1. Working in pairs, small groups, or independently, students survey a selected passage and decide the topic and related words.

  2. Students complete a graphic organizer as they work.

  3. A summary paragraph is completed using information from the graphic organizer

CHECK-UP:

Select five text passages (be sure that the text is well organized for students to read).

Have the students complete a graphic organizer and write a summary or response paragraph for each. 4/5 (80%) correct would be considered mastery.

FOLLOW-UP:

Students who have difficulty with determining the main idea may need practice in comprehension at the sentence level to improve their ability to understand the literal meaning of a sentence and/or practice in categorizing words to improve their ability to understand the global idea involved in determining groups.

DECIDING THE
MAIN IDEA:

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS:
home |Main Idea| Parents' Corner