Other
Curriculum Associates: Determining Theme or Central Idea [Pdf]
In this reading comprehension lesson unit, students are guided in learning how to find the main theme or idea of a text and understanding how details in the text convey that. Includes lots of exercises and examples, as well as...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Changing America
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each story or article is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Florida Center for Reading Research: Exp. Text Structure: Main Idea [Pdf]
A lesson plan in which students read a text and then read it again highlighting the key words and phrases that are important for understanding the text. Materials are included.
Curated OER
Mc Graw Hill: Part 2 Reading: Informational Text: How Reasons Support Key Points
Get an example of how to identify an author's main idea in a text on this site. Also, learn how to recognize supporting ideas to main ideas presented in a text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Boundless Communications: Deploying Supporting Materials
This lesson focuses on supporting materials including types of supporting materials and how to effectively incorporate them into your presentation. W.9-10.2b Strong Support, W.11-12.2b Topic/support/aud
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Topic & Main Idea
[Free Registration/Login Required] Recognizing the main idea is the key to good comprehension. The main idea is a general idea under which fits all the supporting material of the passage or paragraph. Learn and use three strategies that...
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Main Idea 5th Grade
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart reviews main idea strategies.
ACT360 Media
Writing Den: Supporting Details
A short explanation and example of supporting sentences, what they do, and how to write them.
Love To Know Media
Your Dictionary: Lessons and Activities on Main Ideas for First Grade
This site offers links to several lesson plans for teaching main ideas to first and second graders; it also provides and explains some activities for teaching the main idea to first graders.
Quia
Quia: Main Idea/supporting Details
This is a conjunctions quiz using coordinating conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs.
Tom Richey
Slide Share: Distinguishing Main Ideas and Supporting Details
This downloadable slideshow focuses on main ideas and supporting details including definitions, identification, and practicing with paragraphs. RI.9-10.2 central idea/summary
Tom Richey
Slide Share: Main Idea and Supporting Details
This slideshow focuses on the main idea and supporting details including definitions and examples. A more comprehensive slideshow follows the first.
Other
Prezi: Main Idea and Supporting Details
Learning how to determine what is the main idea and what are the details in a story helps you become a better reader.
Other
Landmark School Outreach: Finding the Main Idea
This reading strategy resource provides steps for identifying the main idea of an informational text. Example informational text paragraphs are provided, along with detailed explanations for the processes used in identifying the main...
TES Global
Blendspace: Main Idea Activities
A learning module that includes six links to videos, images, graphic organizers, and websites that reinforce the reading skill of finding the main idea.
TES Global
Blendspace: Main Idea
A five-part learning module with links to videos and images about finding the main idea of a text.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Guidelines for Determining an Author's Main Idea
Follow the steps in this printable PDF to identify the main topic and key details of an informational text.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Critical Reading: Supporting Claims
This instructional activity focuses on supporting claims including the distinction between main ideas and supporting details, relationship between purpose and supporting details, sufficient and related support, and support and...
Quizlet
Quizlet: 4th Grade Q. 1: Main Ideas and Supporting Details: Test
This interactive assessment features 9 matching questions and eight multiple-choice questions over 17 terms having to do with main ideas and supporting details including types of writing and the writing process with their definitions.
Quizlet
Quizlet: 4th Grade Q. 1: Main Ideas and Supporting Details: Match
In this interactive game, students match 17 terms having to do with main ideas and supporting details including types of writing and the writing process with their definitions.
Quizlet
Quizlet: 4th Grade Q. 1: Main Ideas and Supporting Details: Flashcards
This set of interactive flashcards focuses on 17 terms having to do with main ideas and supporting details including types of writing and the writing process.
Quizlet
Quizlet: 2nd Grade: Unit 2 Reading: Main Idea: Test
This interactive assessment features 6 matching and 5 multiple-choice questions over terms relating to the main idea and their definitions. These terms include the following: topic, topic sentence, main idea, detail, supporting details,...
Quizlet
Quizlet: 2nd Grade: Unit 2 Reading: Main Idea: Match
In this interactive learning game, students match terms relating to the main idea with their definitions. These terms include the following: topic, topic sentence, main idea, detail, supporting details, summary, summarize, retell, infer,...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Journey North: Reading Strategies: Main Ideas and Supporting Details
Learn how to identify the main ideas and supporting details in an informational text by using a list of guiding questions.