Main Idea Skill

What is main idea?

• Specific facts and details in the story

• The theme

• The main thing the author wants to say

• The first sentence of a text

The main idea of a book is "Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer." Which one of the following is NOT a supporting detail?

• Soccer players learn how to dribble.

• They know how to pass the ball.

• Soccer players have fun.

• Soccer players learn how to score.

Which of the following is an example of a main idea of a book?

• Manatees

• Manatees are moving off the endangered species list

• I love manatees!

• Manatees have the nickname of "sea cow"

What is the subject?

• The overall topic a text is about

• Something specific that supports the main idea

• The sequence of events in a text

• The moral

What is the subject of this paragraph:

There are many different kinds of pets. Some people have cats and dogs. Others have fish, hamsters, and birds. Some people even have snakes and spiders.

• Some people have cats and dogs.

• There are many different kinds of pets.

• Pets

• Some people have snakes and spiders.

What is NOT a strategy for finding main idea?

• Look for repeated words

• Ask yourself "What is the main thing the author wants us to know?"

• Ask yourself "What is my opinion?"

• Look for clues in the first and last lines.

The main idea of an article is "There are many kinds of bears." What could be a supporting detail in this article?

• Bears have sharp teeth to eat with.

• Bear babies are called cubs.

• Bears have big paws.

• There are polar bears, brown bears, black bears, and panda bears living in different places around the world.

What is the main idea of this passage:

When we think of seaweed, we usually picture brown or green plants a foot or so in length. Seaweeds are also of other colors. Some are red. Some kinds grow to lengths of a hundred feet! These form giant seaweed forests, where many kinds of fish take shelter.

• Why some seaweed are so large

• There are different kinds of seaweed

• All seaweed are green

• Fish love seaweed