ALL- Lesson 1: Main Idea

This module provides Tier 2/ Tier 3 intervention instruction!

Lesson 1: Main Idea

Main Idea: Every piece of writing is about something. The main idea of a piece of writing is the answer to the question “What is it about?” The main idea is what the author is saying about a topic: a person, place, thing, or idea. It can also be an argument, which is a statement the author is trying to prove. Everything in a piece of writing should be related to its main idea; every detail should help support it.

Sometimes the main idea is stated directly, and sometimes it is implied or left for the readers to infer.

Stated Main Idea
A main idea that is stated is very clear. It might be the topic sentence in a paragraph; topic sentences are usually found at the beginning, or sometimes the end, of the paragraph. The first sentence in the opening paragraph of a piece of writing, therefore, is likely to contain the main idea of the whole passage.

Implied Main Idea
Sometimes a paragraph or even a whole passage won’t have a specific sentence that states the main idea. Instead, the main idea is implied by the author. In such cases, you can use the details that appear in the paragraph or passage to determine the general topic or subject and then state it in your own words.