Identify the Main Idea - Complete Lesson with Activities

This is a full lesson teaching how to identify the main idea in a text, complete with all the activities you need to consolidate this skill.

The main idea in a text is the key point that the writer wants the reader to know. This can be explicitly stated with a ‘topic sentence’, usually at the start or end of the paragraph, or it can be implied, in which case you may need to use some extra methods for identifying the main idea.

This resource is a PowerPoint presentation which includes all the information and activities you need to teach children how to identify the main idea in a text.

PLEASE CHECK THE NOTES SECTIONS - The notes section also includes teaching tips, ideas and further explanations.

The presentation includes:
√ Learning objective
√ Three success criteria
√ Starter activity - to engage and get children thinking creatively
√ AFL Question
√ Teaching input - what is the main idea and how can we find it in a text?
√ Examples of explicitly stated main ideas in topic sentences
√ Guided/ whole class consolidation activities
√ Differentiated review activity
√ Differentiated independent consolidation activities (3 levels)
√ Extension task - writing activity to deepen learning
√ All answer slides
√ Plenary - AOL

PLEASE NOTE - Please look at the ‘notes’ section of the PowerPoint for additional information about each slide. These include teaching tips, ideas and further explanations.

This lesson is also suitable for being delivered remotely through online learning with some slight adaptations. It could combine very well with platforms such as Pear Deck and Nearpod.