Main Idea Lesson 1
Here is an animated PowerPoint lesson on main idea. The slideshow explains main idea and how to identify it in a text. There is also a practice activity at the end of the lesson with five practice problems.
Popular Content
Want Email Updates?
Get emails about new stuff.
Be the first to know.
Looking for Something?
Main Idea Worksheets
Are you looking for main idea worksheets and resources? This page features a collection of high-quality worksheets and a PowerPoint lesson! Many students have difficulties identifying main ideas in nonfiction texts. I hope that these resources will help.
Finding the Main Idea
The reader must COMPREHEND the text AND also MAKE CONNECTIONS within the content to FIND OVERARCHING IDEAS. The reader must also RECOGNIZE and DISREGARD NONESSENTIAL INFORMATION.
Identifying main ideas may come simply and naturally to good readers. But it is actually a two or three step process. Struggling readers may trip up on any one of those steps. Here are some practice activities. Students can try to identify the main idea in a variety of texts with these main idea worksheets.
Main Idea Worksheet 1
Here is a double-sided main idea worksheet. Students read seven original nonfiction passages and summarize the main idea of each passage. Also, students must think of a title for each passage that relates to the main idea of the text. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 6-10.
Main Idea Worksheet 2
Here is another double-sided main idea worksheet. This worksheet features six more original nonfiction passages for your students to analyze. Students read the passages, disregard nonessential information, express the main idea, and think of a title for each passage related to the main idea. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 6-10.
Main Idea Worksheet 3
Here is yet another double-sided main idea worksheet. This one is themed around robots and robotic technologies. Students practice identifying main ideas and coming up with appropriate titles for each passage. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 6-10
Main Idea Worksheet 4
Here is one more double-sided main idea worksheet. Students read seven passages about money and systems of exchange. They summarize each paragraph, state the main idea, and think of an appropriate title for the passage. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 5-9
Main Idea Worksheet 5
Here's another great activity to help students master main idea. Learn about some of the greatest scientists in human history while reviewing main idea. Read the passages, identify the main idea, and create appropriate titles for each passage. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 7-11.
Main Idea & Text Structure Valentine's Day Worksheet
Your students will LOVE working through these six passages, expressing the main idea of each, titling them, and visually representing the text using graphic organizers. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 7-11.
You've got to put it all together to find the main idea.
Main Idea
Common Core State Standards
Main Idea Anchor Standard
R.2 - Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.RL/RI.K.2 - With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
RL/RI.1.2 - Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
RL/RI.2.2 - Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.
RL/RI.3.2 - Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
RL/RI.4.2 - Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
RL/RI.5.2 - Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
RL/RI.6.2 - Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.
RL/RI.7.2 - Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
RL/RI.8.2 - Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.
RL/RI.9-10.2 - Analyze in detail how an authorās ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
RL/RI.11-12.2 - Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
Click to VIEW Grade Level Standards for R.2
Still looking for something?
Search here.
Search here.
Leave a comment
150 Comments
Leave a Reply to hussien Abdelmalik Cancel reply
By Using This Website You Agree to the Terms of Use and are aware of our privacy policy.
Subscribe Now
Get emails about new stuff.
Don't worry. I hate spam too.
Some Other Useful Pages
- Author's Purpose Worksheets
- Characterization Worksheets
- Conflict Worksheets
- Fact and Opinion Worksheets
- Figurative Language Activities
- Figurative Language Poems with Questions
- Genre Activities
- Irony Worksheets
- Making Predictions
- Mood Worksheets
- Nonfiction Passages and Functional Texts
- Parts of Speech Worksheets
- Poetic Devices
- Point of View Worksheets
- School Project Ideas
- Setting Worksheets
- Simile and Metaphor Worksheets
- Story Structure Worksheets
- Text Structure Worksheets
- Theme Worksheets
- Tone Worksheets
- ALL PAGES AND WORKSHEETS
Search This Site
teri
/ July 27, 2014You are awesome. Thanks so much for your time and dedication!!!
freddog
/ March 18, 2014Love your work. Thanks!!! Great for my GED students.
Rick
/ January 30, 2014Great site. Glad I found it, the resources are great for my struggling 6th grade readers.
n
/ December 17, 2013Your web site is great. It would be really helpful if you could provide some ideas/resources for CCSS RI3 (text connections).
Thanks
Mr. Morton
/ December 18, 2013Thank you, I will add this to my To-Do list (lengthy at the moment).
Ms. Braswell
/ December 15, 2013Thank you so much for sharing these. As a teacher, I hate reinventing the wheel and the PowerPoint Slide and worksheets are exactly what I needed.
Jo Garcia
/ November 26, 2013I love your website Mr. Morton. You made my preparation time a lot easier and shorter.
julie
/ November 3, 2013Thank you for creating these worksheets. They are a livesaver with struggling students.
Jeanne6
/ October 25, 2013I am curious if you have anything on your site about the types of conflict. I thought I saw it once, but now I can’t seem to find it.
Thanks.
Mr. Morton
/ March 27, 2017http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/types-of-conflict-worksheets/
Mrs. Stanek
/ August 30, 2013I absolutely love this site. I teach struggling readers and writers in a tiny village off the Bering sea in Alaska. I have shared your site with many teachers in our district. Our students are doing so much better on state exams due to the time and effort you have put in. Thank you!
8/30/2013
Mr. Morton
/ September 2, 2013That’s so good to hear.
Urvashi Mehta
/ August 1, 2013Very very valuable worksheets….Thank you ever so much. Introduced authors purpose in the classroom today and the children got hooked immediately!!
Nerissa
/ July 18, 2013Hi! Thanks for this wonderful site. God bless you!
Susie
/ June 27, 2013Hello Mr. Morton,
The teachers in my district in NC love your Website!!! We are currently working on creating curriculum maps. Is it ok if your link on our digital map?
Mr. Morton
/ September 28, 2013I am always pleased and honored to receive links. Best wishes!
Mr. Monzali
/ May 18, 2013I’m very glad to visit this pages. It very important. thank you so much!
Ms. Campbell
/ February 25, 2013I have been using your worksheets to teach my struggling readers. They have been a lifesaver since my program started and materials were not yet purchased. Thank you!
Mr. Morton
/ March 3, 2013I’m so happy to hear that. Best wishes and may your materials arrive in a timely manner.
Tom
/ February 14, 2013Superb website! Some blemishes easily fixed:
1. http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/reading-worksheets/making-inferences-cleaner.pdf (first exercise): CHANGE “Everyday after work…” TO “Every day after work….” “Everyday” is an adjective (everyday event). You mean “each day,” two words. Please fix in the online version also.
2. http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/reading-worksheets/making-inferences-3.pdf (second exercise, beginning “During the California Gold Rush”): CHANGE “a pound of flower” to “a pound of flour.”
3. Inference lessons A and B: add the header “Inference.” The general rule: use more labels.
Loved the site. Great, spot-on material.
Mr. Morton
/ February 14, 2013Thanks, Mr. Tom. I must admit that in my haste to produce material, I often neglect to proofread. Your time is appreciated.
Debbie
/ February 5, 2013This is excellent! Thank you so much š
Mrs. Upshaw
/ February 1, 2013Thank you for this wonderful resource. As I teach a lesson I look for your great handouts to practice and follow-up what I have instructed. Way to Go!
Mrs. Dumser
/ January 25, 2013Thank you so much for this website. Everything is valuable! I have used the text structure, point of view, and main idea power points with my classes. They clearly illustrate the ideas and concepts. The worksheets are also great because my students are forced to do complex reading while identifying text structure, point of view, or main idea. Thank you again!!!!!!
Mr. Morton
/ February 3, 2013Thanks for visiting!
Yvonne Fields
/ December 31, 2012Thanks a million for letting me use these wroksheets, They are great and I know that my students are going to enjoy them!
Laurent
/ December 10, 2012This is a wonderful site. Thank you very much.
Liera Narap
/ December 6, 2012Thanks! This is a very useful site. A repertoire of many useful and engaging worksheets and activities. My deepest gratitude. Kudos to you guys…….!
Queenie
/ December 5, 2012I love this site. Are the answers for the powerpoint examples available?
Greg
/ November 7, 2012I am tutoring a high school student with a variety of skills including reading comprehension…this was a great resource! Thank you!
Nancy
/ November 1, 2012I was looking for some fresh ideas on main ideas and I came across this site. I downloaded the powerpoint presentation and will be showing it to my 7th graders, in Puerto Rico next Wednesday. I hope it helps them better visualize how to find the main idea. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks!
Mr. Morton
/ December 2, 2012Awesome!
Mrs Cookie
/ October 13, 2012This is a great site. My students look forward to us completing the worksheets in class as well as doing them at home. (surprise to me)
Mr. Morton
/ December 2, 2012Wow. Thanks for saying so. Best wishes!
noni
/ October 5, 2012thank you Mr.Morton
Mrs. Strickler
/ September 26, 2012These have the appropriate rigor to get my 5th graders to mastery. Thank you for all your work!
vicki
/ September 23, 2012I just want to thank you for the wonderful powerpoints..
Lentha
/ September 19, 2012I remember looking for reading comprehension passages in the past and could not find a lot of practice/exercises/passages on one site. I had to look through many….this is great! Thank you!!
Lekiae
/ September 15, 2012Thanks so much for this tool..I can’t express it enough even thru email. These activities are engaging. I can’t wait to utilize this with my middle school kids. Thanks again.
Mr. Morton
/ September 27, 2012Awesome! Come back soon.
Angela
/ August 10, 2012Could I use these worksheets and the PPT for training in India?
They are very clear and well thought out.
Mr. Morton
/ August 10, 2012Absolutely! You can use any of the materials on this site for any noncommercial purpose. No need to ask. Thanks for visiting!
Mr. Pakoa
/ August 6, 2012Thanks for your website! Love your worksheets! Iām using them in a school in remote Central Part of Vanuatu {South Pacific}
Mr. Morton
/ August 10, 2012Thanks! How’s the weather out there?
Mrs. Lyons
/ July 24, 2012Thank you so much Mr. Morton for providing these materials. It is very useful for students that need reinforcement in these areas.
Linda
/ June 24, 2012Finally- some worksheets that address basic English problems, minus the teddy bears! I teach adults, so I always have to cover up the childish clip art. I REALLY appreciate all the time you have put into making rigorous, interesting worksheets. Now I can spend time with my baby instead of making lessons! God Bless You!
Mr. Morton
/ August 10, 2012Babies sure are demanding, aren’t they? š
Tim Robinson
/ May 3, 2012Thanks for your website! Love your worksheets! I’m using them in a school in remote Northern Canada.
Mr. Morton
/ May 22, 2012That’s awesome. Thanks for visiting!
Courtney
/ April 17, 2012This website is helping immensely. Especially since my daughter’s teacher would not provide me with any supplemental work for me to help her at home.
Mr. Morton
/ April 18, 2012Your comment makes me happy and sad.
jackie
/ April 16, 2012these are wonderful worksheets. do you have work sheets about nouns and ajectives?
Mr. Morton
/ April 18, 2012Why yes, I have some:
nouns
adjectives
Bobby
/ April 6, 2012This is a great resource, I bookmarked this page.
Quincy
/ April 1, 2012Mr. Morton,
May I translate these wonderful worksheets into Korean and use them for my class?
I need worksheets like these badly.
Mr. Morton
/ April 1, 2012Certainly.
I hope it goes well.
Thanks for visiting.
Bobbie
/ February 20, 2012These sheets are perfect for practicing for ISAT. Thanks!
Mr. Morton
/ February 23, 2012I know… it’s right around the corner, right?
Vee
/ February 14, 2012Thank you for this wonderful resource!
God bless you!
Vee
/ February 14, 2012Mr. Morton ,
You are God sent. This is a great site. I love using it for teaching as well as review.
May God continue to bless you as you share your wisdom!
Vee
Mr. Morton
/ February 23, 2012Thank you.
Shante
/ February 13, 2012WOW!!!! Great Site. Do you have any Cause & Effect worksheets or Power Points?
Thank you for your help.
Mr. Morton
/ February 13, 2012Nothing solely dedicated to cause and effect, but check out my text structure worksheets.
Smitha
/ January 30, 2012Thank you so much! These are the perfect length and the main idea is so clear that using it for explanation/training is wonderful. I sure appreciate them being available! The point of view ones are great for older kids with Asperger’s/High functioning Autism.
Mr. Morton
/ January 31, 2012May the Lord bless you and the work that you do.
Mrs. Rhine
/ January 13, 2012I discovered your website while searching for ways to review figurative language and main ideas with my students prior to testing. These are wonderful resources and I truly love the site!
Mr. Morton
/ January 14, 2012Thanks, Mrs. Rhine. I appreciate you taking the time to say so.
Trevor
/ January 12, 2012i love it! thanks for such a good site
Mr. Morton
/ January 14, 2012My pleasure š
T Warren
/ January 11, 2012Thank You so much for this! These are great for remediation!
Mr. Morton
/ January 14, 2012I’m happy to hear it.
JESSICKA MORAN
/ January 7, 2012Hi! Very helpful site. Can you tell me what grades these would be for? We need material for our Junior High Students that we tutor.
Mr. Morton
/ January 23, 2012I believe that these would be perfect for that age group. In fact, I use these with my middle school students as well.
Corrie
/ November 30, 2011Hey! Do you have any answer keys to these particular worksheets? I love this site! So helpful!
Mr. Morton
/ December 1, 2011Not currently, but I’d love to add some soon. Perhaps over the break.
Mr. Morton
/ January 31, 2012I love links the most! Thank you!