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Strategies for Teaching Main Ideas and Supporting Details

Identifying the most important information in an informational text can be challenging for your students. Use these tips to teach them how to find main ideas and supporting details in nonfiction.

Teach your students about main ideas and supporting details in informational texts.

Tips for Teaching Main Ideas and Supporting Details

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The first thing we need to do is to break down the standard at the different grade levels. It is really helpful to know what your students are expected to do in the grade level before yours and the grade level after yours. This allows you to differentiate your lessons and meet the needs of all your students. 

First Grade

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.2 – Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

Important Skills to Teach:

  • How to use the cover, words, and pictures to identify the topic of a text
  • What key details are and how to find them

I Can Statements:

  • I can identify the topic of an informational text.
  • I can identify key details about the topic of an informational text.

Download a week of 1st grade lesson plans to teach this standard.

Download a digital slideshow to assign for distance learning or as a center activity.

Second Grade

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.2 – Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.

Important Skills to Teach:

  • How to identify the topic of a text when there are multiple paragraphs
  • How to identify the topic of individual paragraphs

I Can Statements:

  • I can identify the topic of a text with multiple paragraphs.
  • I can identify the topic of individual paragraphs.

Download a week of 2nd grade lesson plans to teach this standard.

Download a digital slideshow to assign for distance learning or as a center activity.

Third Grade

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2 – Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

Important Skills to Teach:

  • What a main idea is
  • What a key detail is
  • How details support the main idea

I Can Statements:

  • I can identify the main idea of an informational text.
  • I can identify key details and explain how they support the main idea.

Download a week of 3rd grade lesson plans to teach this standard. 

Download a digital slideshow to assign for distance learning or as a center activity.

Fourth Grade

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.2 – Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

Important Skills to Teach:

  • What a main idea is
  • What key details are
  • How to summarize an informational text

I Can Statements:

  • I can identify the main idea of an informational text.
  • I can explain how key details support the main idea.
  • I can summarize an informational text.

Download a week of 4th grade lesson plans to teach this standard.

Download a digital slideshow to assign for distance learning or as a center activity.

Fifth Grade

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2 – Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

Important Skills to Teach

  • How to identify the main idea of different sections of a text
  • How to identify key details and explain how they support the main idea
  • How to summarize an informational text

I Can Statements:

  • I can identify two or more main ideas of a text.
  • I can identify key details and explain how they support the main idea.
  • I can summarize an informational text.

Download a week of lesson plans to teach this standard.

Download a digital slideshow to assign for distance learning or as a center activity.

Suggested Books

Identifying main ideas and supporting details can be a challenging skill for your students. Try to gather a collection of informational texts on a wide range of topics that interest your students. I find that nonfiction books about animals, outer space, and famous places work well. 

               Use National Geographic Kids: Planets to teach your students about main ideas and supporting details.                 

National Geographic Kids: Planets

Use Our Solar System: Earth to teach your students about main ideas and supporting details.

Our Solar System: Earth

Use the book Mars to teach your students about main ideas and supporting details.

Mars

Use the book Saturn to teach your students about main ideas and supporting details.

Saturn

Use the book Neptune to teach your students about main ideas and supporting details.

Neptune

Tips for Teaching Main Ideas and Supporting Details

  1. Do a main idea and detail sort. Write the sentences from two different paragraphs on sentence strips. There should be one main idea sentence for each paragraph and at least three detail sentences for each paragraph. Have the students sort the sentences to find the main ideas and the supporting details that match each one. This will help them identify the most important piece of information and the key details before they have to find them in a text. 
  2. Use a box diagram to show the main idea and details. When the students are reading independently, have them set up a paper by drawing a big box at the top of the page and three smaller boxes below it. As they read their informational text, they should write the main idea in the big box and a supporting detail in each of the smaller boxes. 
  3. Write a hand summary. After the students create a box diagram, they can use the information to write a hand summary. They should write their sentences as they touch each finger. The thumb is the main idea. The next three fingers are each a supporting detail, and the pinky is a closing sentence. 

Other Helpful Resources

If you have students who are struggling with this standard, strategy groups and one-on-one conferences are a great way to differentiate and help all your students master it. These assessments will show you which students have mastered the standards and which students need extra practice.

1st Grade Common Core Literature Standard Assessments

1st Grade Common Core Informational Texts Standard Assessments

2nd Grade Common Core Literature Standard Assessments

2nd Grade Common Core Informational Texts Standard Assessments

3rd Grade Common Core Literature Standard Assessments

3rd Grade Common Core Informational Texts Standard Assessments

4th Grade Common Core Literature Standard Assessments

4th Grade Common Core Informational Texts Standard Assessments

5th Grade Common Core Literature Standard Assessments

5th Grade Common Core Informational Texts Standard Assessments

Get all the lesson plans you need to teach every Common Core Reading Standard for your grade level. 

1st Grade Common Core Standards Bundle

2nd Grade Common Core Standards Bundle

3rd Grade Common Core Standards Bundle

4th Grade Common Core Standards Bundle

5th Grade Common Core Standards Bundle

For more tips on teaching the reading standards, join the Rock the Reading Workshop Facebook Group. 

 

What Do You Think?

What are your best tips for teaching your students about main ideas and supporting details?

Let us know in the comments.

Teach your students about main ideas and supporting details in informational texts.

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About Tara Dusko

Tara is a third grade teacher and mother of 2. She loves teaching but not the stress that comes with it. She loves using preparation, organization, and relaxation to destress and have fun teaching! Connect with Tara on Google+, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter!
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