Finding the Main Idea to Boost Comprehension

Finding the main idea is a cornerstone of comprehension. When students master this skill, they unlock a deeper understanding of texts and strengthen their ability to analyze and think critically. But let’s be honest—teaching the main idea can feel tricky, especially if students struggle to distinguish it from the interesting details in a text.

Don’t worry! With intentional, research-backed strategies rooted in the science of reading, you can guide your students to become confident in finding the main idea. Here are three proven methods to teach this skill effectively, wrapped up in an encouraging and practical approach.

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1. Finding the Main Idea = The Big Picture

Start by helping students understand that finding the main idea involves answering one big question: What is this text mostly about? To do this, they need to zoom out and look at the text as a whole. We can support students in this process by modeling:

• Examine the Title: Titles often give big clues about the main idea. Ask students, What does the title tell you about what this text will be about?
• Scan for Repeated Ideas: Guide students to look for words or phrases that are repeated throughout the text. Repetition often signals the text’s focus.
• Think About the Purpose: Ask, Why do you think the author wrote this? Discuss whether the text is meant to inform, persuade, or entertain, and how this purpose ties into the main idea.

Pausing to identify the main idea also strengthens self-monitoring skills, enabling students to check their comprehension as they read. This foundational habit not only enhances retelling—a highly effective strategy for younger learners—but also supports note-taking and the ability to generate higher-level questions about the text.

Encourage students to practice this method with short, manageable passages. Use think-alouds to model your own process for finding the big picture—this makes your thinking visible and gives students a clear example to follow.

Pro Tip: Want access to high quality passages with premade think-alouds? The Stellar Teacher Collective has you covered! Click HERE to learn more about how our membership can help you save time, boost student engagement, and teach more effectively.

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2. Use a Framework for Finding the Main Idea

This framework is especially helpful for narrative texts. It breaks the story into smaller parts, helping students track the main events while maintaining focus on the overall idea. Here’s how it works:

• Somebody: Who is the story about?
• Wanted: What did the character want?
• But: What problem did they face?
• So: What action did they take?
• Then: How did it all end?

When students complete this framework, they can easily pull the pieces together to articulate the main idea. For example:

• Somebody: Rosa Parks
• Wanted: To keep her seat on the bus
• But: She was told to move because of segregation laws
• So: She refused to give up her seat
• Then: She was arrested, sparking the Civil Rights Movement.

This exercise encourages students to identify text structure, helping them closely examine key details to understand how informational text is organized into main topics and subtopics or how narrative text unfolds through a series of main events.

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3. Highlight Key Sentences

Sometimes, the finding the main idea is as simple as looking for where it is explicitly stated, often in the first or last sentence of a paragraph. Teach students to:

• Identify Topic Sentences: Show them how topic sentences introduce the main idea, and supporting details expand on it.
• Use Highlighting or Underlining: Provide highlighters or sticky notes to mark sentences that seem especially important.
• Paraphrase: Once students identify the key sentence, ask them to put it in their own words. This ensures they’re truly grasping the meaning.

For informational texts, practice identifying main ideas using a variety of structures (e.g., description, cause/effect, compare/contrast). Over time, students will learn to apply this method across all genres.

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Finding the Main Idea Takes Practice

Finding the main idea is a skill that improves with practice. Celebrate small victories and remind students that it’s okay to make mistakes. With time, these methods will help them build confidence and comprehension skills that last a lifetime.

By learning to identify the main idea at any point while reading—whether in a paragraph, a section, or an entire text—students develop a versatile skill they can apply across all reading experiences. Finding the main idea shouldn’t just happen in isolation—it’s a skill best developed authentically while engaging with a variety of texts. By embedding main idea practice into real reading experiences, students see how this skill applies to understanding everything from stories and articles to textbooks and essays.

When practiced in context, finding the main idea becomes a natural part of the reading process rather than a disconnected task. And soon enough, students will be looking for the big picture confidently with any text!

Think about your next steps…

1. Listen: Check out  Episode #234 of our podcast Dear Stellar Teacher to hear Sara and Emily’s takeaways for teaching comprehension effective (and helping students truly understand the big picture)! Join this insightful conversation about shifting from traditional methods to evidence-based practices.
2. Follow: Are you looking for more eduction and support with your literacy instruction? Follow us on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany!
3. Learn More: Check out this article by Joan Sedita! Learn more about the research behind finding the main idea and its connection to comprehension.

Happy Teaching!