HOW DO WE FIND THE MAIN IDEA?

What do good readers look for when they read?  Good readers look for details in the story to help them find the main idea.  These details are clues that help the reader find the main idea.

What is main idea? The main idea tells what a group of words, phrases, sentences, or pictures is about!

Let’s try and determine the main idea. There will be some details that appear. Once all of the details have been shown I will ask for someone in the class to state the main idea.

What is the main idea of these details?  Jack’s mom gave him a book.  Jack’s dad gave him a bike.  Jack’s sister gave him a toy car.  Main Idea: Jack got presents from his family.

What is the main idea of these details?  Monkeys and toucans live in the rain forest.  The rain forest is home to anteaters.  Flying around in the rainforest are morpho butterflies.  Main Idea: Many different kinds of animals live in the rainforest.

What is the main idea of these details?  Mom helps to carry sand from the beach.  We use buckets and plastic bins to make shapes for our sandcastles.  Shells help to hold the sandcastle together.  Main Idea: Our family makes sandcastles at the beach.

What is the main idea of these details?  Some blood cells kill germs and help stop bleeding.  Blood flows to every part of our body.  People can die if they lose a lot of blood.  Main Idea: Blood is a very important part of the human body.

What is the main idea of these details?  Bats locate insects by following sounds.  Bats find their way by listening to sounds.  Bats can’t fly well if you cover their ears.  Main Idea: Bats use their ears to help themselves survive.

What is the main idea of these details?  Others have said Abe Lincoln has been seen standing in the windows of the White House at night.  Eleanor Roosevelt said she saw the ghost of Abraham Lincoln.  Some people say the ghost of Abraham Lincoln lives in the White House.  Main Idea: There are ghosts that live in the White House.