What's It About?

The main idea is the big point or most important idea in the text.

Pictures and captions can help us understand the main idea.

When the main idea is not stated we infer it from the details.

The main idea can be at the start, in the middle, or at the end.

Long texts can have a main idea for each section.

Headings often tell us the main idea of a section.

We ask: What is this mostly about? That helps us find the main idea.

In stories the main idea can be the lesson or theme.

We use the details to figure out the main idea.

A summary includes the main idea and key details.

We can tell someone the main idea. That shows we understood.

The main idea can be in the first or last sentence. Sometimes we figure it out.

We reviewed that the main idea is the big point; details support it.

Supporting details are facts or examples that support the main idea.

Each paragraph can have its own main idea with supporting details.

We can often state the main idea in one sentence.

The topic is the subject; the main idea is what we learn about it.

A whole story can have one main idea or theme.

Details can appear before or after the main idea. They support it.

The title and headings often give clues to the main idea.