main idea homework 5th grade

Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

Main Idea Worksheets

The main idea, also called the central idea or main point, is the primary concept of a passage. It represents the essential point that the author is trying to convey. The main idea may be clearly stated as a sentence. The main idea is usually reinforced by a series of other points or details which support the premise of the main idea. These are called supporting ideas and may also be stated or implied. Please use any of the printable main idea worksheets below in your classroom or at home. Just click on the worksheet title to view details about the printable PDF and print or download to your computer.Be sure to check out all of our reading worksheets . If you're looking for more activities, check out www.readingvine.com's main idea reading passages .

Find the Main Idea: Storms

After reading a brief passage about storms, students are prompted to write the main idea and 3 details.

Find the Main Idea: Spots the Barn Cat

A short passage about Spots the Barn cat. Students circle the main idea from a list of options.

What is the Main Idea? Carnival

Students read a short paragraph about carnivals, circle the main idea and write 3 details.

Find the Main Idea: Anne of Green Gables

A main idea worksheet about the book, Anne of Green Gables. Students write the main idea and two supporting ideas.

Find the Main Idea: Planets

Students read a passage about planets and then write the main idea and supporting ideas.

Find the Main Idea: The Jungle Book

Students read a passage from Rudyard Kipling’s book, The Jungle Book, and write the main idea in the large oval and two supporting ideas in the small, linked ovals.

Find the Main Idea: The Meerkat

Students read about the fascinating Meerkat and write down the main idea and supporting ideas.

Main Idea Graphic Organizer

Learning how to properly structure an essay can be difficult. With this Main Idea Tree, students will create an outline that allows them to better understand the different parts of a five paragraph essay. Students will be asked to write their introduction, a main idea, three topic sentences, three supporting details for each topic sentence, and a conclusion.

Find the Main Idea: Dolphins

Students read about the dolphins and write the main idea and two supporting ideas on the lines provided.

Find the Main Idea: The Louisiana Purchase

Students read about the Louisiana Purchase and write the main idea and two supporting ideas on the lines provided.

Find the Main Idea: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Students write the main idea and three supporting ideas after reading a short passage from the book,The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Find the Main Idea: 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

A main idea worksheet about the book, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Students write the main idea and two supporting ideas.

Find the Main Idea: Ben Franklin

A reading passage about Ben Franklin. Students read and write the main idea and supporting ideas.

Find the Main Idea: Black Beauty

After reading a passage from “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell, students write the main idea and two supporting ideas.

Find the Main Idea: Little Women

Students read a passage from Louisa May Alcott’s book, Little Women, and write the main idea and two supporting ideas.

Find the Main Idea: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Students read a passage from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and write the main idea and supporting ideas.

Find the Main Idea: Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Students write the main idea and up to 5 supporting ideas after reading a short passage from the book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain.

Find the Main Idea: Two Reading Passages

One passage about the U.S. Constitution and one about the sport of soccer. Students read both, circle the main idea and write a supporting idea.

Find the Main Idea: Call of the Wild

After reading a passage from “Call of the Wild” by Jack London, students write the main idea and two supporting ideas.

Find the Main Idea: Major Art Movements

A worksheet about the major art movements. Students write the main idea and 4 supporting ideas.

• Reading Comprehension Worksheets
• Inferences Worksheets
• Context Clues Worksheets
• Theme Worksheets

Main Idea Worksheets

• Reading Games
• Summary Worksheets
• Online Tests
• Figurative Language Worksheets
• Short Stories with Questions
• Nonfiction Passages
• Genre Worksheets

BECOME A MEMBER!

Are you looking for main idea worksheets and resources? This page features a collection of high-quality worksheets and a PowerPoint lesson! Many students have difficulties identifying main ideas in nonfiction texts. I hope that these resources will help.

Identifying main ideas may come simply and naturally to good readers. But it is actually a two or three step process . Struggling readers may trip up on any one of those steps. Here are some practice activities. Students can try to identify the main idea in a variety of texts with these main idea worksheets.

Main Idea Common Core State Standards

149 comments.

These are wonderful resources. Bless you all!

Joy Perkins

As always – brilliant material

Margaret Chavis

Great for assessing and remediation

EMELIA C. PALURAY

I’m gratefully happy to use the worksheets from this website. thanks for the selfless effort you’ve impartially exerted. wonderful and amazing God bless everyone.

Valuable website for everyone

Thank you so much. This website has helped me understand lots of figurative language! Thank you again!!! Best wishes, Satnaam

very good website thanks for making!<3

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Author's Purpose Worksheets
• Characterization Worksheets
• Conflict Worksheets
• Fact and Opinion Worksheets
• Figurative Language Activities
• Figurative Language Poems with Questions
• Genre Activities
• Irony Worksheets
• Making Predictions
• Mood Worksheets
• Nonfiction Passages and Functional Texts
• Parts of Speech Worksheets
• Poetic Devices
• Point of View Worksheets
• School Project Ideas
• Setting Worksheets
• Simile and Metaphor Worksheets
• Story Structure Worksheets
• Text Structure Worksheets
• Tone Worksheets
• ALL PAGES AND WORKSHEETS

Addition (Basic)

Addition (Multi-Digit)

Algebra & Pre-Algebra

Comparing Numbers

Daily Math Review

Division (Basic)

Division (Long Division)

Hundreds Charts

Measurement

Multiplication (Basic)

Multiplication (Multi-Digit)

Order of Operations

Place Value

Probability

Skip Counting

Subtraction

Telling Time

Word Problems (Daily)

More Math Worksheets

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension Gr. 1

Reading Comprehension Gr. 2

Reading Comprehension Gr. 3

Reading Comprehension Gr. 4

Reading Comprehension Gr. 5

Reading Comprehension Gr. 6

Reading & Writing

Reading Worksheets

Cause & Effect

Fact & Opinion

Fix the Sentences

Graphic Organizers

Synonyms & Antonyms

Writing Prompts

Writing Story Pictures

Writing Worksheets

More ELA Worksheets

Consonant Sounds

Vowel Sounds

Consonant Blends

Consonant Digraphs

Word Families

More Phonics Worksheets

Early Literacy

Build Sentences

Sight Word Units

Sight Words (Individual)

More Early Literacy

Punctuation

Subjects and Predicates

More Grammar Worksheets

Spelling Lists

Spelling Grade 1

Spelling Grade 2

Spelling Grade 3

Spelling Grade 4

Spelling Grade 5

Spelling Grade 6

More Spelling Worksheets

Chapter Books

Charlotte's Web

Magic Tree House #1

Boxcar Children

More Literacy Units

Animal (Vertebrate) Groups

Butterfly Life Cycle

Electricity

Matter (Solid, Liquid, Gas)

Simple Machines

Space - Solar System

More Science Worksheets

Social Studies

Maps (Geography)

Maps (Map Skills)

More Social Studies

Mother's Day

Father's Day

More Holiday Worksheets

Puzzles & Brain Teasers

Brain Teasers

Logic:  Addition Squares

Mystery Graph Pictures

Number Detective

Lost in the USA

More Thinking Puzzles

Teacher Helpers

Teaching Tools

Award Certificates

More Teacher Helpers

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Alphabet (ABCs)

Numbers and Counting

Shapes (Basic)

More Kindergarten

Worksheet Generator

Word Search Generator

Multiple Choice Generator

Fill-in-the-Blanks Generator

More Generator Tools

Full Website Index

Main Idea Worksheets

Print graphic organizers and reading comprehension paragraphs for teaching students about main idea.

Main Idea Graphic Organizers

Logged in members can use the Super Teacher Worksheets filing cabinet to save their favorite worksheets.

Quickly access your most used files AND your custom generated worksheets!

Please login to your account or become a member and join our community today to utilize this helpful feature.

Main Idea Reading

Super Teacher Worksheets has reading comprehension worksheets for all elementary school grades.

Print all different types of graphic organizers, including hamburger writing charts, timelines, Venn diagrams, t-charts, writing webs, and more.

Sample Worksheet Images

PDF with answer key:

PDF no answer key:

Free Printable Identifying the Main Idea in Fiction Worksheets for 5th Grade

Identifying the Main Idea in Fiction: Discover a collection of free printable worksheets for Grade 5 Reading & Writing teachers, designed to help students explore and understand the central theme in fictional texts. Enhance their comprehension skills with Quizizz!

Explore Identifying the Main Idea in Fiction Worksheets by Grades

• kindergarten

Explore Other Subject Worksheets for grade 5

• Social studies
• Social emotional
• Foreign language
• Reading & Writing

Explore printable Identifying the Main Idea in Fiction worksheets for 5th Grade

Identifying the Main Idea in Fiction worksheets for Grade 5 is an essential tool for teachers to help their students develop strong reading and writing skills. These worksheets are specifically designed to target the critical skill of identifying the main idea in various fictional texts, which is a fundamental aspect of reading comprehension strategies. By using these worksheets, teachers can provide their Grade 5 students with engaging and age-appropriate materials that will challenge their reading abilities and enhance their understanding of the texts. Furthermore, these worksheets can be easily integrated into any Reading & Writing curriculum, ensuring that students have ample opportunities to practice and hone their skills in identifying the main idea in fiction.

Quizizz is an excellent platform that offers a wide range of resources, including Identifying the Main Idea in Fiction worksheets for Grade 5, to support teachers in their efforts to improve their students' reading comprehension strategies. With Quizizz, teachers can create interactive quizzes and games that not only help students practice identifying the main idea but also make learning fun and engaging. In addition to worksheets, Quizizz provides various other offerings such as flashcards, polls, and presentations, allowing teachers to diversify their teaching methods and cater to different learning styles. By incorporating Quizizz into their Reading & Writing instruction, teachers can ensure that their Grade 5 students have access to high-quality, SEO-friendly materials that will effectively support their development in reading comprehension and identifying the main idea.

GET TEACHING TIPS AND FREE RESOURCES

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

The Brown Bag Teacher

Teach the Children. Love the Children. Change the World.

September 14, 2013

Main Idea in 5th Grade

This week in 5th grade, reading has been all about main idea. So, I tried starting our work on main while reading a text about September 11th…and it was fine. I did learn though that my friends needed to take a few steps back, to review and practice, before we started picking out our own main ideas and supporting details.

Why Main Idea?

Finding the main idea is crucial for students as it hones their reading comprehension skills. Identifying the main idea helps students extract essential information from a text , encouraging a deeper understanding of the material. This skill enhances their ability to summarize, make inferences, and critically analyze texts. Additionally, it lays the foundation for effective note-taking and organization of information, which are essential skills across lots of subjects. As 5th graders navigate increasingly complex texts across subjects, mastering the main idea helps them synthesize information, fostering academic success and preparing them for more advanced learning challenges.

Making “Main Idea” Sticky

I also knew I needed to ‘hook’ them, so I went right to Flocabulary . Ya dig?

My kids LOVE Flocabulary . They pack up as fast as they can in the afternoon, so they can pick out an educational rap to listen to. For realz. I’m at the end of my two-week trial right now, and I am in the process of applying to use $63 of my Classroom Funds for a year’s subscription – the kickers? Flocabulary is definitely not on our bid list…so yeah. Anyway, the Flocabulary rap was a perfect way to introduce main idea with Ben, bears, and being smitten. Like I said, the raps are fun, loud, and interactive!

We also visited Tim and Moby at BrainPop {for free} to get more practice with Main Idea. While not as ‘fun’ as Flocabulary, Brain Pop is a tried and true resource. Plus, stopping the video at important points, gave my kiddos the opportunity to ‘find’ the topic and main idea with a partner.

Our Main Idea Visual

After these ‘hooks’, I know the kids are mine. I mean, what 5th grader won’t listen to your every word when you were just rapping with them 2 minutes ago? This is when I explain/show the class a house and introduce it as Main Idea. I explain…

Every house must have a strong foundation. Without this foundation, the house would fall. It would have no purpose. In a text, the TOPIC is the foundation. The topic tells us what we will be reading and learning about. It is a short and sweet phrase that focuses us as readers and writers.

Every house must have a roof. A roof protects a house from things that do not belong. Just like a roof protects a house, the main idea protects a piece of writing. The main idea is what the author is trying to teach the reader, what the text is mainly about. If something doesn’t support the main idea, then it does not belong.

Lastly, the supporting details (or walls) hold up the roof. Without the walls, the roof would fall. Just like a house, the supporting details give a text body and purpose. Without these details, the main idea does not go anywhere.

You can click here to grab your own Main Idea house for free . Now that my kids understand the main idea basics, they are ready for practice – enter Main Idea in a Bag .

Topic vs. Main Idea vs. Details

Students work in pairs to differentiate between the topic, main idea, and supporting details. In a brown paper bag, place one set of cards (social studies and science texts). Then, student A pulls one cards from the bag and reads it aloud. The process continues until all 5 cards have been pulled from the bag. With all the cards on a flat surface, the partners work to identify the ‘roof’ (main idea), ‘walls’ (supporting details), and ‘foundation’ (topic) of the text. After forming the main idea ‘house’, students should record their answers on the recording sheet.

For Your Classroom

Related Posts

Reader Interactions

September 15, 2013 at 3:36 pm

Love the Main Idea house – what a great graphic organizer. Thanks for the reminder about Flocabulary – was just thinking about how I could spend my classroom money – this is it!

September 15, 2013 at 4:03 pm

Love your main idea house organizer! It also is a great way to explain it to the kids! My fifth graders always need help with main idea… always! I also really like how you practice using the main idea bags! Thanks for sharing your great ideas 🙂

Amanda My Shoe String Life Follow Me on Bloglovin'

September 16, 2013 at 10:11 pm

What a great, hands-on way to practice main idea. I've already got this on my wish list and will be picking it up when we start main idea. Courtney Polka Dot Lesson Plans

September 21, 2013 at 2:54 pm

Main idea is a tricky concept, and I really think this will help my students! Thanks for sharing! I found you on the TpT forum and am a beginning teacher like you. You're doing an awesome job!

November 30, 2014 at 10:32 pm

My goodness!!!! Thank you so very much for that house main idea graphic organizer because I have used that visual for my kids every time we discuss main idea and now I can make it into a more concrete process using your organizer. Thank you very much for sharing!

November 3, 2015 at 2:26 am

Great! I enjoyed reading how you taught main idea!

February 19, 2024 at 7:08 am

Flocabulary and BrainPop are fantastic resources to captivate 5th graders. The Main Idea house analogy is a clever way to make the concept tangible for students. Keep up the innovative teaching. NAS Data Recovery Services in San Diego

3reliability

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.

Identifying the Main Idea Activities for 5th Grade

Strengthen your child's identify the main idea skills with interactive educational resources for identify the main idea for 5th graders online. These learning resources include fun games and worksheets with eye-catching visuals and characters. Get started to help your 5th grader master this concept by engaging their critical thinking.

CONTENT TYPE

• Lesson Plans
• Math (2,872)
• Number Sense (61)
• Counting (23)
• Compare and Order Numbers (11)
• Compare Numbers (10)
• Compare Multi-Digit Numbers (10)
• Order Numbers (2)
• Order Multi-Digit Numbers (2)
• Place Value (37)
• Read and Write Numbers (1)
• Place Value Chart (1)
• Multiplication (244)
• Multi-digit Multiplication (111)
• Multiply 2-digit by 1-digit Numbers (18)
• Multiply 2-digit by 2-digit numbers (39)
• Multiply 3-digit by 1-digit Numbers (5)
• Multiply 3-digit by 2-digit numbers (23)
• Multiply 4-digit by 1-digit Numbers (14)
• Multiplication Properties (41)
• Associative Property (10)
• Distributive Property (31)
• Estimate Products (5)
• Multiply by multiples of 10 (10)
• Times Tables (8)
• Multiplication Facts (8)
• Multiply by 11 (4)
• Multiply by 12 (4)
• Division (146)
• Long Division (67)
• Divide 3-digit by 1-digit Numbers (7)
• Divide 4-digit by 1-digit Numbers (10)
• Divide Multiples of 10 or 100 (6)
• Estimate Quotients (27)
• Fractions (425)
• Identify Fractions (10)
• Identify fractions using models (1)
• Represent Fractions (25)
• Represent fractions using real-word objects (10)
• Represent Mixed Numbers (10)
• Represent mixed numbers using models (10)
• Compare Fractions (30)
• Compare fractions without visual models (7)
• Benchmark Fractions (10)
• Convert Fractions (17)
• Fractions as Mixed Numbers (10)
• Fractions Operations (264)
• Add and Subtract Fractions (88)
• Add Fractions (44)
• Represent Fraction Addition (9)
• Add fractions using models (12)
• Add like fractions (12)
• Add unlike fractions (10)
• Estimate fraction sums (13)
• Subtract Fractions (30)
• Represent Fraction Subtraction (9)
• Subtract unlike fractions (10)
• Add and Subtract mixed numbers (67)
• Add mixed numbers (33)
• Add mixed numbers using models (10)
• Add a mixed number to a fraction (12)
• Add two mixed numbers (11)
• Subtract mixed numbers (34)
• Subtract mixed numbers using models (10)
• Subtract a fraction from a mixed number (14)
• Subtract two mixed numbers (10)
• Multiply Fractions (96)
• Multiply fractions by whole numbers (14)
• Multiply fractions by whole numbers without models (10)
• Multiply two fractions (20)
• Multiply fractions using models (10)
• Multiply fractions without models (10)
• Multiply mixed numbers (32)
• Multiply mixed numbers by whole numbers (10)
• Multiply mixed numbers by fractions (10)
• Multiply two mixed numbers (10)
• Fraction multiplication as scaling (10)
• Divide fractions (8)
• Decimals (1,677)
• Represent Decimals (20)
• Represent Decimals Using Models (10)
• Represent Decimals on Number Lines (10)
• Read and Write Decimals (42)
• Decimals Expanded Form (20)
• Compose Decimals (10)
• Decompose Decimals (10)
• Decimals Standard Form (11)
• Decimals Word Form (10)
• Decimal Place Value (34)
• Digits at the given decimal place (10)
• Place values of digits in decimals (10)
• Compare and Order Decimals (59)
• Compare decimals (38)
• Compare decimals using models (20)
• Compare using decimal grids (10)
• Compare using decimal number lines (10)
• Compare decimals using place value (10)
• Order decimals (21)
• Order decimals using place value (10)
• Round Decimals (42)
• Round decimals to the nearest whole (12)
• Round decimals to the nearest tenths (10)
• Round decimals to the nearest hundredths (10)
• Convert Between Decimals and Fractions (5)
• Convert Decimals to Fractions (5)
• Decimal Operations (1,459)
• Add Decimals (699)
• Add tenths and hundredths (360)
• Add decimals without regrouping (194)
• Add decimals with regrouping (188)
• Subtract Decimals (705)
• Subtract decimals without regrouping (194)
• Subtract decimals with regrouping (184)
• Multiply Decimals (237)
• Multiply decimals by powers of 10 (83)
• Multiply decimals by whole numbers (128)
• Multiply decimals by decimals (72)
• Divide Decimals (161)
• Divide decimals by powers of 10 (20)
• Divide decimals by whole numbers (41)
• Divide whole numbers by decimals (45)
• Divide decimals by decimals (41)
• Types of Decimals (12)
• Geometry (81)
• Shapes (40)
• 2d Shapes (40)
• Identify Quadrilaterals (11)
• Partition 2D Shapes (3)
• Partition into equal parts (3)
• Coordinate Planes (28)
• Identify Points on the Coordinate Plane (10)
• Plot on the Coordinate Plane (11)
• Measurement (24)
• Conversion of Measurement Units (16)
• Algebra (84)
• Patterns (35)
• Number Patterns (35)
• Extend Number Patterns (10)
• Generate Number Patterns (10)
• Relationship Between Patterns (10)
• Numerical Expressions (41)
• Interpret Numerical Expressions (10)
• Evaluate Numerical Expressions (21)
• Evaluate Exponents (10)
• Order of Operations (10)
• Word Problems (235)
• Addition and Subtraction Word Problems (77)
• Addition Word Problems (2)
• Subtraction Word Problems (27)
• Decimal Subtraction Word Problems (25)
• Multiplication and Division Word Problems (82)
• Multiplication Word Problems (43)
• Division Word Problems (36)
• Fraction Word Problems (34)
• Multi-step Word Problems (31)
• Money Word Problems (10)
• Reading (105)
• Reading Skills (105)
• Cause and Effect (11)
• Inference (9)
• Identify the Main Idea (23)
• Categorize Pictures into Groups (4)
• Choose a Suitable Heading (5)
• Prediction (6)
• Sequencing (18)
• Arrange Pictures in Order (3)
• Arrange Sentences in Order (4)
• Story Elements (5)
• Authors Purpose (1)
• Compare and Contrast (3)
• Point of View (3)
• Comprehension (8)
• Character Analysis (6)
• Text Structure (5)
• Fact or Opinion (1)
• Using Illustrations (3)
• Context Clues (3)
• Evaluating Authors Argument and Evidence (3)
• Grammar (72)
• Adverbs and Adjectives (8)
• Nouns and Pronouns (10)
• Pronouns (2)
• Parts of Speech (1)
• Prepositions and Conjunctions (14)
• Punctuation (8)
• Sentences (13)
• Verbs and Tenses (22)
• Spelling (5)
• Unscramble (3)
• Vocabulary (31)
• Abbreviations and Contractions (4)
• Affixes (3)
• Commonly Confused Words (7)
• Figures of Speech (7)
• Similes and Metaphors (1)
• Synonyms and Antonyms (5)
• Word Puzzles (5)

Your one stop solution for all grade learning needs.

In our Main Idea lesson plan, students learn about main ideas and why they are important in literature and other texts. Students practice identifying main ideas in text and locating the supporting details.

The Main Idea lesson plan does not include any content pages. Rather, it provides a very detailed lesson plan, found on the two Classroom Procedure pages. It also includes an example passage for you to use.

Description

Additional information, what our main idea lesson plan includes.

Lesson Objectives and Overview: Main Idea develops reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. A foundational skill required for all in-depth analysis of literature and expository text, identifying the main idea is a critical skill that students will use throughout their academic and professional careers as readers. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify main ideas and cite supporting details to defend their identification of main ideas in expository and literary texts. This lesson is for students in 5th grade and 6th grade.

Classroom Procedure

Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the orange box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives and state standards in this area.

Teacher Notes

The teacher notes page includes a paragraph with additional guidelines and things to think about as you begin to plan your lesson. This page also includes lines that you can use to add your own notes as you’re preparing for this lesson.

MAIN IDEA LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES

Main idea lesson plan worksheets.

The Main Idea lesson plan includes three worksheets: an activity worksheet, a practice worksheet, and a homework assignment. You can refer to the guide on the classroom procedure page to determine when to hand out each worksheet.

MAIN IDEA ACTIVITY WORKSHEET

Students will read two passages and complete a chart for each that asks them to answer specific questions before, during, and after reading. They much also identify the main idea of each passage.

CHART PRACTICE WORKSHEET

The practice worksheet asks students to choose a nonfiction text of their choice and complete the chart on the worksheet. It asks them to answer specific questions before, during, and after reading. It also asks them to write down what the main idea of the passage is at the end.

MAIN IDEA BAG HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

For the homework assignment, students will create their own Main Idea Bag, which uses a collection of items or objects that are all related to the same topic. Students will first choose their topic. They will then find five or more objects and complete the provided organizer. Finally, they will explain how the items relate to their main idea in a paragraph.

Worksheet Answer Keys

This lesson plan includes answer keys for the activity worksheet, the practice worksheet, and the homework assignment. However, all of the answer keys note that students’ answers and responses will vary. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.

Thank you for submitting a review!

Your input is very much appreciated. Share it with your friends so they can enjoy it too!

A well put together enrichment to my Main Idea and Supporting Detail topic.

I work for a non-profit with a mission of creating a passion for reading in children. This lesson plan is going to be very useful for me to work on the main idea concept with the children. Thank you!

The students really enjoyed the story. It definitely pushed them to think at a higher level than some of the other activities that offer multiple choice.

I was looking for something different to teach my class. The passages were high interest to keep my class engaged but still reinforce the concept being taught.

Great Stuff

I just want to say thanks for the 'Main Idea" topic that you allowed me to download for free. This information was helpful to my son who was struggling in his english class and helpful to me as a parent in assisting him.

Related products

Careers: Web Developer

Careers: Astronomer

Careers: Robotics Engineer

Careers: Computer Technician

Make your life easier with our lesson plans, stay up-to-date with new lessons.

• Lesson Plans
• For Teachers

© 2024 Learn Bright. All rights reserved. Terms and Conditions. Privacy Policy.

• Sign Up for Free

Intro to Main Idea and Key Details

5th grade | RI.5.2 | 49 seconds

In this framing video, 5th graders are introduced to the concept of main idea and how it is supported by key details.

Share with your students

Unlock this activity and thousands more in eSpark’s playfully personalized learning environment.

What's popular right now

Froggy Feast

Read with Fluency, RF.3.4.b

Cheetah Chaser Identity Property

Multiply, Divide: 1-5, 3.OA.C.7

R-Controlled Vowels, 2.OA.C.3, RF.2.3.b

Related Activities

Reading Literature - Summarizing Strategy

Main Idea and Details

The Princess' Party

Determine Message, Lesson, Moral

Dr. Chavez's Science Lab 5th Grade

Quotes and Direct Evidence

Making Inferences 5th Grade

Explicit Meaning and Inferences

Student Activities Administrators Pricing FAQs State Standards Alignment

Help Center Teachers District Stories Blog

Our Team Careers Press

Copyright 2021 © eSpark Learning | Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

Identifying the main idea of the story: A Guide for Students and Teachers

READING FOR MEANING: IDENTIFYING THE MAIN IDEA OF THE STORY

We have all been there, though it can often feel as futile as the search for that proverbial needle in a haystack…

Finding the main idea of a piece of writing can be challenging, but it is an essential reading comprehension skill for our students to develop. Students that become skilled in this art will benefit from it far beyond the perimeters of the school gates. From the small print of an insurance document to writing a book review, the ability to filter a text and identify its central idea is as much a crucial life skill as an essential literacy-based learning objective. Though it isn’t always easy, luckily, there is much we can do to help our students hone their abilities in this area.

WHAT IS ‘THE MAIN IDEA’? DEFINITION

Whether we are talking about the main idea of a paragraph, a poem, a chapter, or a longer text, finding the main idea requires the reader to identify the topic of a piece of writing and then uncover what the writer wants us to know about that topic.

As is so often the case, it is best to start small. When working with students on how to identify the main idea, begin by having students locate the main idea in a sentence before building up to locating it in a longer paragraph. As students gradually build their confidence in identifying the main idea in paragraphs, they will soon be ready to move on to longer texts in the form of chapters and eventually full-length books.

125 Guided Reading Activities

Ensure your students are constantly engaged with these INDEPENDENT & GROUP Reading Activities for ANY BOOK.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ( 215 reviews )

A WORD ON PARAGRAPHS

The main idea of a sentence is usually fairly straightforward to identify. Often it is as simple as identifying the subject of the sentence. Whole chapters or books, on the other hand, can seldom be easily reduced to expression in the form of a single, main idea. For these reasons, the paragraph offers the student the most suitable format in which to practice their main idea identification skills.

Usually, if the writer knows what they are doing, we can identify a single main idea in every paragraph. We can think of this as the key point that is usually expressed as a topic sentence. It is often found in the paragraph’s first sentence, with subsequent sentences providing the supporting details. It can, however, occur in the middle, at the end, or even be split across the paragraph. It may not even be there at all – at least not explicitly.

Writers are a creative bunch, and so students will require more sophisticated means to accurately identify the main idea in all cases and that is exactly what this article will help you help your students to do.

HOW IS A MAIN IDEA EXPRESSED?

It can appear to be a reasonably clear-cut task to define the main idea, so why is it often so problematic for students to identify it? Well, the truth is that it needn’t be so. Often the central concept is expressed directly in the text and is as easy to identify as your own face in the mirror.

However, the main idea will not always be expressed so explicitly, and students must learn to identify it, whether it is expressed directly or merely implied, if they are to fully comprehend what they are reading.

  THE STATEMENT OF THE MAIN IDEA

Attention is the key to pulling the main idea from a text, whatever the genre. Students need to identify the most relevant information from the work and use it to develop a statement expressing what they perceive as the main idea.

We can refer to this as The Statement of the Main Idea . This statement should be a lean sentence or two. The process of composing this statement starts with asking questions about the text. Not all questions will apply to every text, but they will provide a good starting point for extracting the main idea from any piece of writing.

●     Who – Can the student identify the person or people the text is about?

●     What – Can the student identify the topic or underlying theme of the text?

●     When – Can the student identify a reference to a specific time or period?

●     Where – Can the student identify a specific place or a setting ?

●     Why – Can the student identify a reason or explanation for what happens in the text?

●     How – Can the student identify a method or theory in the text?

These questions, and variations of these questions, can help students draw out what the text is about. The two most important questions of those above are who and what . These will sufficiently elicit the information required to identify the main idea in most circumstances. But, the actual litmus test of whether the student can absorb the text’s central idea is whether or not they can summarize what they have read in their own words.

The Litmus Test: Summarizing and Paraphrasing

We know through our experience in the classroom that learning through teaching is a highly effective instructional strategy. It also offers teachers opportunities to observe and assess their students’ grasp of the concepts they have been working on. Similarly, when we ask our students to summarize or paraphrase the main idea of an extract, we are creating an opportunity to observe their comprehension of what they have read and their ability to identify the main idea therein.

You can also encourage students to regularly practice these skills by challenging them to paraphrase and summarize things you have said or read to them in class, even during lessons entirely unrelated to literacy. Encourage them to be concise and to the point; you may even wish to set a word limit of 10 or 15 words within which they must express the main idea. Keep it lean!

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS IN IDENTIFYING THE MAIN IDEA

Get The Gist

In this method, give each student a copy of a nonfiction paragraph. If you wish, you can differentiate for students’ different abilities by choosing extracts of varying complexities. Regardless of the level of difficulty, the approach will remain the same. Have students:

1. Ask themselves who or what the paragraph is about.

2. Ask themselves what is the most essential information about the who or what.

3. Restate the main idea in 10 words or less.

You can model this strategy for your students by first walking them through the process. Project the text onto the whiteboard for shared reading and, with focused support and prompting, have them answer the initial questions.

Part 3 of the process above can be undertaken as a piece of shared writing which will model the correct approach before students begin to do it independently. Later, when students have written independent statements of the main idea, they can compare their responses and offer each other feedback. After feedback sessions, they can be given a further opportunity to redraft and modify their statements for accuracy and brevity.

Through these processes, students will improve their ability to identify and express the main idea clearly and concisely.

Get the Gist – Longer Texts

As we mentioned earlier, it isn’t always easy to reduce a longer extract, such as a chapter, down to a single central idea – much less a whole book! There will be times, however, when students will be asked to do just that. They will need a systematic approach to help them in such circumstances. The following process provides for a practical approach:

1. Look at the title – Often, the title provides a good indication of the topic of the text or at least helps to orientate the reader in the direction of the main idea.

2. Look at the extract’s first and last sentences/paragraphs – Often, the main idea will be introduced and summarized respectively in these parts of the text.

3. Look for repeated words and phrases in the extract -The frequency with which they occur will be a strong indicator of their relative importance and will point students toward that elusive main idea.

4. Instruct students to ask themselves, “ What does the writer want me to know? ” – Answering this question successfully will require them to uncover the text’s main idea.

As the students work through the above steps, they can highlight, underline, or circle the keywords and phrases and then use these to help them form their main idea statement.

HOW TO LOCATE THE MAIN IDEA WHEN IT IS IMPLIED

Inferring the main idea requires students to look for patterns in the details as they read. When the main idea is explicit, the student must first identify the topic of the writing before determining what it is the writer wants the reader to know about it. If the main idea is not stated explicitly in a sentence or paragraph, then it is implied, and students must consciously work to uncover it by analysing the details to infer the main idea. Conscious practice of this strategy will soon see it become second nature, and the student will quickly become skilled in identifying the main idea even when it is not stated explicitly.

To efficiently identify the main idea in a piece of writing, students should first determine the text’s topic. Then, they will need to work out what it is the writer wants us to understand about that topic. This is the essence of how to identify the main idea.

Students should understand that the main idea may not always be explicit, and they may need to work hard to uncover precisely what the text implies. Regardless of whether the main idea is explicit or implicit, every paragraph will have the main idea. Students should understand that it can be located at the beginning, in the middle, at the end, or even be split up throughout the paragraph.

With perseverance and hard-earned experience, students can use various methods and, at times, a fusion of these methods to uncover the main idea with speed and accuracy. Soon they will be able to apply these methods to a broad range of texts over a wide range of lengths and complexities.

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

 MAIN IDEA GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (FREE DOWNLOAD)

 VIDEO TUTORIAL ON TEACHING THE MAIN IDEA

ARTICLES RELATED TO THE MAIN IDEA OF THE STORY

Sequencing events in reading and writing

Teaching Cause and Effect in Reading and Writing

Elements of Literature

Teaching Compare and Contrast

What Is An Inference? And How To Teach It.