Finding the Main Idea & Supporting Details Lessons Bundle - Worksheets, Games

This is a bundle of my 3 best selling main idea resources so you can save time planning lessons while still making sure your students understand this difficult skill. Using this resource will help your students have a firm grasp on how to find the main idea, as well as how key details help support the main idea.

There are a huge variety of main idea activities, making it easy for you to differentiate for different skill levels in your upper elementary class.

Save over 20% when you buy this bundle!

This resource includes:

1. Main Idea - Scaffolded Practice

These main idea lessons start off easy, with words and shorter texts, and then get increasingly more difficult. Eventually, students will practice finding the main idea and answer test prep questions within longer text. This resource includes activities to help your students:

• understand the difference between topic and details
• understand how titles and headings relate to the main idea of a passage
• understand how supporting details should relate to the main idea of a text
• understand how main idea and supporting details are different
• practice filling in main idea graphic organizers and answering main idea questions in a longer text.

There are 36 task cards included in this resource, focused on helping your students think about how details and the main idea are related.

This is a best selling main idea practice packet that has helped many teachers of a variety of grade levels teach main idea and details in a way that students actually understand.

2. Main Idea Centers / Main Idea Games

This resource includes 3 main idea centers / games to help your students practice this skill in a fun and engaging way.

First Center: Main Idea Mazes

This is a no prep center that has students think about how details that might support a provided main idea in order to complete the maze. It requires students to think critically about the main idea, as many of the details are on topic, but don't support the main idea.

This is a teacher and student favorite!

There are 5 main mazes as well as a student recording sheet to help hold your students accountable during center time as well as to help you understand their thinking. An answer key is also provided.

Second Center: Main Idea Matching Game

Students must match up short paragraphs with their corresponding main ideas while playing the matching game. Many of the paragraphs are on similar topics, so that the main idea is not immediately obvious to students.

This center includes 8 paragraphs with 8 corresponding main ideas, student instructions, a student recording sheet, and an answer key.

Third Center: Main Idea and Details Sort

This can be an independent, partner, or small group activity. Students must match up details with the correct main idea. There are 4 main idea cards and 12 detail cards. All of the main ideas and details are on the same topic - the human ear.

This game includes 4 main idea cards, `12 detail cards, a student recording sheet, and an answer key.

These centers are fairly low prep. The Main Idea Mazes just need to be printed and copies. The other two centers require a little cutting and optional laminating.

Main Idea - Writing Paragraphs

This resource gives students a chance to better understand main idea through writing paragraphs. Students will practice writing on topic details, writing topic statements, revising provided paragraphs so that the details support the main idea, and writing complete paragraphs.

All of these activities are no prep. You can use them in a writing center / writing station, as 2nd or 3rd grade homework practice, as independent practice, with a sub, etc.

A grading rubric is provided to help you assess your students understanding of main idea and supporting details.

If you like this, you might also like:

Point of View Activities Bundle

Compare and Contrast Activities Bundle

Kalena Baker, Teaching Made Practical