Pictures and Captions Point the Way

Use pictures and the words under them to check the main idea.

Pictures in nonfiction books are not just for decoration. They often show the main idea. A caption is the short sentence under a picture that tells what it shows. Imagine a page with a photo of a mother bird feeding babies in a nest.

The caption says, 'Parent birds bring food to their chicks. ' The text on the page talks about how bird parents care for their young. The picture and caption both point to the same main idea.

If you are unsure what a page is about, look at the picture and read the caption.

• 1Pictures can show the main idea.
• 2A caption tells what a picture shows.
• 3Pictures and captions help you check your thinking.