HOW TO FIND THE MAIN IDEA in a text?

The main idea is:______________________ I can find the Main Idea! I can think about important information and tell what it is mostly all about. The main idea is:______________________

YOU GUESSED IT RIGHT! BIRTHDAY PARTY

Hurray! You have found the topic/ main idea. Do you know what techniques you use to find the main idea (topic) in a list of words or a sentence? First, you find the topic! You Ask Yourself! What is the paragraph about? What is the author teaching me about? Then, you write one or two words only to answer these two questions. Hurray! You have found the topic/ main idea.

Which word tells the main idea in the following? Pink Gray Blue Green Colours Black White Answer: COLOURS

Read the following lists of words and tell the main idea of each. pencil geometry box eraser sharpener colour pencils glue stick scissors eggs salt red chilly powder oil frying pan onion tomato Main idea is a) eraser b) stationery c) school Main idea is a) vegetables b) spices c) omelette

Answer: FAMILY Answer: EXAMS Now, it’s your turn to guess the main idea for the following all by yourself. So, THINK! grandfather grandmother father mother brother sister revision at school learning at home date sheet nervousness stationery classroom invigilator Main idea is ------------------- Main idea is ------------------- Answer: FAMILY Answer: EXAMS

AFTER PRACTISING DIFFERENT LISTS OF WORDS, LET’S PRACTISE SENTENCES!

Read the following sentence and tell what is it about? MY COAT IS BLUE AND RED WITH A GREEN ZIPPER.

Sunday is my most favourite day of the week. WOW! YOU DID IT! LET’S DO THE FOLLOWING AS WELL! Can you find the word that tells the topic/ main idea? Sunday is my most favourite day of the week. A cake is made up of eggs, butter, flour, baking powder, sugar, etc. My school uniform includes a white shirt, a pair of trousers, black shoes, white socks and a blue tie.

A FEW SHORT PARAGRAPHS TO FIND OUT THE MAIN IDEA! NOW, LET’S PRACTISE A FEW SHORT PARAGRAPHS TO FIND OUT THE MAIN IDEA!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID TO FIND OUT THE MAIN IDEA? YOU READ THE WHOLE PARAGRAPH (mainly the 1st and the last sentence) YOU LOOKED FOR THE WORDS REPEATED OVER AND OVER AGAIN. YOU IDENTIFIED WHAT THE TEXT IS MOSTLY ABOUT AND AVOIDED THE DETAILS.

Let’s check out the following EXAMPLE: Topic: Growing up in a small town Correct Main Idea: There are many advantages to grow up in a small town. Incorrect Main Idea: Small towns are good because we have safe neighbourhoods. DID YOU NOTICE? The incorrect main idea is a detail and doesn’t sum up all of a paragraph.

NOW, LET’S PRACTISE SOME SHORT PARAGRAPHS!

READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. 1 READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. Dan didn’t see his pet dog. He went to the back of his house but could not see it. Dan was sad. What is the main idea? Dan did not see his cat. Dan ran away. Dan did not see his dog.

READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. 2 READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. My dog is named lucky. Lucky can do lots of tricks. It knows how to sit and lie down when I tell it to do so. Lucky can also roll over! Another thing that lucky can do is shaking its paw to say hello to people. Lucky is the best dog in the world. What is the main idea? Lucky can roll over. Lucky can shake its paws. Lucky can do lots of trick. Lucky is the best dog.

READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. 3 READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. Tigers are the largest species in the cat family. They live in many parts of Asia. They can weigh as much as 660 pounds. They can grow as long as 11 feet. They are great swimmers and hunters. What is the main idea? Tigers are great swimmers. Tigers are the largest species in the cat family. Tigers live in Asia.

HIDDEN MAIN IDEA Sometimes, the main idea is not the first sentence of the paragraph. It is hidden. The reader has to look for clue words in the text repeated again and again to find the main idea.

READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. 4 READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. John and Peter played at the park. They went swimming in the pool. After lunch, they went to watch movies. They enjoyed themselves a lot. They can’t wait to see each other again. What is the main idea? John and Peter are brothers. John and Peter had fun. John and Peter went swimming.

READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. 5 READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. Spots was a large grey and white cat. Spots lived in a store room present on a farm. Spots liked living in that store room. It was warm in the winter and cool in the summer. There were many mice for Spots to chase. Best of all, Spots had a soft place to sleep in a corner of the store room.

READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. 5 READ THE FOLLOWING AND TELL THE CORRECT MAIN IDEA. What is the main idea? The store room was dirty. The store room was a good place for Spots to live. Spots often slept outside when it rained.

LET’S PLAY A GAME: MAIN IDEA MYSTERY FOLLOWING ARE THE 4 DIFFERENT MAIN IDEAS. A: Recess is my favourite part of the day. B: Indoor recess can also be lots of fun. C: Some playground equipment is tricky to learn. D: I love playing kickball most of all.

MAIN IDEA MYSTERY (Go back to read the main ideas) Match each sentence with the correct main idea. Write the letter next to the sentence as exemplified. I practise kicking all the way out to the ground. _____ Some days, I watch the clock to wait for recess after I finish all my work. _________ Sometimes, I do puzzles. Other times, I like to draw in the classroom during recess. ________ I am scared of the tube slide. It is dark from inside. _______ D A B C

WHY DOES A WRITER WRITE A PARAGRAPH? PURPOSE OF A PARAGRAPH WHY DOES A WRITER WRITE A PARAGRAPH?

YOU LOVE EATING A PIE, RIGHT? JUST REMEMBER THESE THREE LETTERS P. I. E.

1. TO PERSUADE THE AUTHOR TRIES TO MAKE THE READER THINK, FEEL OR BELIEVE SOMETHING. THE WRITER WANTS TO CHANGE THE READER’S POINT OF VIEW. EXAMPLES: Commercials ads, billboards, debates

When you read any paragraph, ask yourself: Is the writer trying to convince me (change my mind) about something?

2. TO INFORM THE AUTHOR GIVES TRUE, FACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT A TOPIC. THE WRITER WANTS TO TEACH NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOPIC. EXAMPLES: Newspaper, articles, biography

When you read any paragraph, ask yourself: Is the writer trying to teach me something new (to increase my knowledge)?

3. TO ENTERTAIN THE AUTHOR TRIES TO MAKE THE READER LAUGH AND ENJOY THE TEXT. THE WRITER TELLS YOU A STORY. EXAMPLES: Poem, story, drama/ play

When you read any paragraph, ask yourself: Is the writer telling me a story?

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE ACTIVITY! Don’t forget to practise this activity during your summer vacation as well. We hope that now, you can easily find out the main idea.