Paragraph

RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Nonfiction Reading Strategies
Main Idea and Details
Created & Developed by Jill M. Leone
Reading Specialist
Copyright © 2006

RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 We will discuss -
• difference between the main idea and
supporting details in nonfiction text.
• where to look for the main idea.
• how to recognize questions that ask
you to identify the main idea.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Have you ever gotten to the end of a
page and had no idea what
you’d just read?
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 sportsillustrated.com

The reason this happens is because you

probably missed the main idea.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Main Idea
This is the most important reading
strategy you will ever learn.
• The main idea is the key thought or
idea in a reading passage.
• It’s what the author wants you to
understand and Reading Tips
remember most.

RPDP Secondary
Literacy Look for main ideas.
 Main Idea
• The main idea is
different from the
subject or topic.
• The subject is what
the writing is about.

The main idea is the point the writer

is trying to make about the subject.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Main Idea
When you read –
Try to identify the topic.
Then ask yourself -
What point does the author want to make about
this topic?
When you can answer that question,
you should understand the main idea.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Main Idea
Where can you look
to find the main idea?
Sometimes the writer
will state the main idea
directly.
More often, the writer will imply the
main idea and expect you, as a
reader, to do a little detective work.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Main Idea
These four tips should help:
• Check the title.
• Reread the first and last sentences.
• Skim through the passage to see
how many times a topic is mentioned
compared to other topics.
• Try to sum up the passage in one
sentence – this should be close to
the main idea.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 • When the main idea isn’t stated directly, skim
through the passage to look for key words and
ideas.
• Skimming means to glance quickly at a passage
to get a sense of the topics and important ideas.
• It should never be used as a substitute
for careful reading.
• Skimming is a strategy you use
after you’ve read the passage.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Main Idea
• Always read the first
sentence carefully.

• Sometimes you get lucky.

• If the first sentence is the

topic sentence, it will tell
you what the entire
paragraph is about.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Helpful Tip
When the writer doesn’t tell you the
main idea directly –
Pay attention to any idea that is
repeated in different ways.
If an author returns to the same
thought in several different
sentences, that idea is probably
the main idea.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 For Longer Passages
• Try to identify the topic sentences of the
separate paragraphs.
• One of these topic sentences often gives us
the overall idea for all of the other topic
sentences.
• This topic sentence, sometimes
rephrased, will be the passage's
main idea.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Main Idea Questions
Questions asking you to determine the main idea
may be worded:
• The main idea of the passage is
• The author’s main point is
• The central or controlling idea is
• The author implies
• The passage suggests
• The main point of the selection is
• The best summary of this passage is
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Supporting Details

Don’t confuse the main idea with a

supporting detail!
• Supporting details explain or give more
information about the main idea.
• Think about writing a paragraph and then
adding more ideas and details about your
topic. That’s what details do in a reading
passage.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Main ideas need explanation and support.
• If you read the topic sentence alone, you
might not understand it.
• When you read it with the rest of the
sentences in a paragraph, it makes sense.
• This is the purpose of these other
sentences in a paragraph.
• They support the main idea.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Supporting Details
Details in a reading passage are any
specifics such as:
• Names
• Dates
• Facts
• Directions
• Colors
• Sizes
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Supporting Details
Details support the main idea and answer
the following questions:

RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Practice Question
The universe is so immense that it is almost
impossible to imagine it. Our solar system may be
only one of millions of such systems in the universe.
Our nearest star, the sun, is 93 million miles away; the
next nearest star is 26 trillion miles away. And
astronomers believe that the universe is still
expanding.
The main idea of this paragraph is –
A. the universe
B. our solar system
C. the planets in our solar system
D. our nearest star
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Practice Question
The universe is so immense that it is almost
impossible to imagine it. Our solar system may be
only one of millions of such systems in the universe.
Our nearest star, the sun, is 93 million miles away; the
next nearest star is 26 trillion miles away. And
astronomers believe that the universe is still
expanding. How did you do?
The main idea of this paragraph is –
A. the universe
B. our solar system
C. the planets in our solar system
D. our nearest star
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Practice Question
A new kind of operation has become possible. Doctors take
out part of the human body and replace it with artificial
parts. Teeth are replaced with silver or gold, and blood
vessels are replaced with plastic tubing. These artificial
parts work almost as well as the real ones. People live
longer and better lives thanks to this medical advance.
The main idea of this selection is -
A. Parts of the body can be replaced.
B. Silver, gold and plastic are valuable.
C. More Americans have health insurance.
D. This medical advance is expensive.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Practice Question
A new kind of operation has become possible. Doctors take
out part of the human body and replace it with artificial
parts. Teeth are replaced with silver or gold, and blood
vessels are replaced with plastic tubing. These artificial
parts work almost as well as the real ones. People live
longer and better lives thanks to this medical advance.
The main idea of this selection is -
A. Parts of the body can be replaced.
B. Silver, gold and plastic are valuable.
C. More Americans have health insurance.
D. This medical advance is expensive.
RPDP Secondary
Literacy How did you do?
 Practice Question
In the old West many people were tricked into buying fake
gold mines. A dishonest man would buy some land and and
then put some gold rock where it could be easily found. The
man who found the gold would buy the land expecting to find
large amounts of additional treasure. But the defrauded victim
would never find any more gold.
The main idea of the selection is -
A. Prospecting Tips
B. Life in the Old West
C. Cowboy Legends
D. Selling Fake Gold Mines
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Practice Question
In the old West many people were tricked into buying fake
gold mines. A dishonest man would buy some land and and
then put some gold rock where it could be easily found. The
man who found the gold would buy the land expecting to find
large amounts of additional treasure. But the defrauded victim
would never find any more gold.
The main idea of the selection is -
A. Prospecting Tips
B. Life in the Old West
C. Cowboy Legends
D. Selling Fake Gold Mines
RPDP Secondary
Literacy How did you do?
 Practice Question
Most Americans say they exercise almost every day.
Walking is the favorite exercise. Swimming comes
next. Biking is very popular, and so are running or
jogging. The other favorites are baseball, football,
and softball.
This selection is mainly about -
A. Walking
B. Reasons people like to exercise
C. Exercise Americans prefer
D. Exercises in different parts of the world
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Practice Question
Most Americans say they exercise almost every day.
Walking is the favorite exercise. Swimming comes
next. Biking is very popular, and so are running or
jogging. The other favorites are baseball, football,
and softball. How did you do?
This selection is mainly about -
A. Walking
B. Reasons people like to exercise
C. Exercise Americans prefer
D. Exercises in different parts of the world
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Practice Question
The cold is our most common disease. Millions of
people suffer discomfort from one or more colds each
year. The cause of this illness is a virus. But as yet,
no cure has been found. It is believed that rest and
liquids help our bodies fight this virus.
This selection is mainly about -
A. Rest and liquids
B. Millions of people
C. The cold
D. Our bodies
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Practice Question
The cold is our most common disease. Millions of
people suffer discomfort from one or more colds each
year. The cause of this illness is a virus. But as yet,
no cure has been found. It is believed that rest and
liquids help our bodies fight this virus.
This selection is mainly about -
A. Rest and liquids
B. Millions of people
C. The cold
D. Our bodies How did you do?
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
 Today we discussed -
• Main Ideas

• Topic Sentences

• Supporting Details
RPDP Secondary
Literacy
Thanks