Understanding Main Ideas and Supporting Details

Front

What is the main idea?

Back

The main idea is the most important point or message in a text.

Front

What are supporting details?

Back

Supporting details are facts, examples, or descriptions that help explain or prove the main idea.

Front

How can you find the main idea in a paragraph?

Back

Look for the topic sentence or the sentence that summarizes the paragraph.

Front

What is a topic sentence?

Back

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main idea of a paragraph.

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Why is it important to identify the main idea?

Back

Identifying the main idea helps you understand the overall message of the text.

Front

What is an example of a main idea?

Back

Cinderella's father loved her very much.

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What is an example of a supporting detail?

Back

Cinderella's father remarried after her mother passed away.

Front

What does it mean to summarize a text?

Back

To summarize means to give a brief statement of the main points of a text.

Front

How can you tell if a detail supports the main idea?

Back

If the detail explains, describes, or gives more information about the main idea, it supports it.

Front

What is the difference between a main idea and a supporting detail?

Back

The main idea is the central point, while supporting details provide evidence or examples for that point.