Reading Comprehension Tool: Identifying the Main Idea

What is it? The main idea is the most important idea an author makes in a paragraph or passage.

Where can a reader find the main idea? The writer may state the main idea in a sentence. This sentence can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a paragraph or passage.

What if the main idea does not appear directly in a sentence? Sometimes the author implies the main idea. (Definition: to imply – to express or suggest without being directly stated) The reader must then figure out the main idea by thinking about the details and stating the main idea in his/her own words.

Example: Stated Main Idea Every year teens spend billions of dollars. In 1999 American teens spent $153 billion! According to one research company, the average teenager spends about $35 every time he or she goes to the mall. Experts expect more sales as the population of teens increases by 4 million by the year 2010.

Example: Implied Main Idea Ballooning got its start in 1783 when two ballooning pioneers launched a duck, a sheep, and a rooster in the first historic balloon flight. Since then, many people have ballooned successfully across lakes, channels, and even oceans. Ballooning has become so popular that people now compete for the world record in time and distance.

About – Point Strategy To effectively state a main idea link together two separate pieces of information: 1. What is the paragraph/passage about? (What is the topic?) 2. What is the point the author is making about the topic? (What is important to understand/know about the topic?)

About-Point Examples Example: Stated Main Idea What is it about? Teens What’s the point? They spend billions of dollars each year. Main Idea = Every year teens spend billions of dollars.

About-Point Examples Example: Implied Main Idea What’s it about? Ballooning What’s the point? How ballooning changed throughout history Main Idea = Ballooning has developed and changed throughout history.

Another Example Have you ever wondered if time travel is possible? If you have, you’re not alone. Philosophers and scientists, including Albert Einstein, have studied the concept of time. Writers have written stories about time travel into the past and future. Movies like Star Trek and The Terminator explore the possibilities of time travel.

Use the About-Point Strategy! What’s it about? _______________ What’s the point? ______________ Main Idea = ___________________