This week our comprehension skill is finding the main idea and details. I’ve said this several times, but I really like to start main idea using biographies. It helps us dive into a new type of text and the main idea is normally fairly simple to identify. We have been starting our lesson with a short biography that I read aloud, and we identify the main idea/details together. Then, my students break out into their reading groups. Each group has a biography (at their level) and a Main Idea Mini-Book.
My school has a wonderful literacy library with leveled readers, and thankfully there are tons of biographies! Having a resource like this helps out a TON!
My students are working in groups to read their books while also filling out their mini-booklet. I find that having something for them to complete while in reading groups helps them to stay on task a little better. We stay in groups for about 20 minutes a day… any longer and I have students crawling all over my room 😉 I mainly work with my struggling readers, but I also facilitate the rest of the groups.
In response to a biography we read as a class, my students made these main idea trees with their partners. I do this every year because it’s a simple way to display what they are learning.
Do you have any fun ideas for teaching main idea? I’d love to hear below!
5 Responses
Love your main idea idea! I like to use their handprints with the main idea on the palm and the details on the fingers. I think main idea can be so boring so anything to jazz it up is good.
Great ideas! I really like the idea of using biographies to introduce main idea.
I'm pulling a 3rd grade reading intervention group (I'm a 1st grade teacher!) and always looking for ideas! Biographies for main idea – thank you 🙂
Jen
Can I ask what you do with your struggling readers during reading groups? I run out of ideas.
Love the main idea trees!!! Love all of your goodies!!! Where can I get or click to get the main idea trees and the main idea booklet? Amy Moser