Main idea

What was the best thing you did on your holidays?

Think of a movie you saw on your holidays.
What was it about?

In a text, information about things - who, what, when, where, when, why and how - are important clues to the main idea.

The main idea tells what the whole text or part of a text is about.
The main idea connects the little details to make a summary.

Why is it important to find the main idea?

finding the main idea:

• a good check of your own understanding
• remember information
• summarise information quickly 
• a good way to study
• a skill needed across all subject areas

Finding a main idea

• Look at: title, pictures, topic sentence
• Read the text
• Ask questions and find clues

Untitled Slide