Central Idea

Select the best topic sentence for the paragraph.

• Being a celebrity is often difficult.

• Celebrities make more money than most people.

• Brad Pitt is a celebrity everyone has heard of.

• When I grow up, I want to be a celebrity.

Select the best topic sentence for the paragraph. Reading helps people do well in school and their jobs. It is also a way to learn new things about our interests. Some people read to escape to different worlds.

• Some people like to read.

• There are many good things that can come from reading.

• Reading is only good if you want to do well in school.

• It is good to read a lot.

Which question would be most helpful for figuring out the central idea of a text?

• What is my opinion

• What do I know about the book

• What is the main thing the author is trying to say

The main idea of a text is

• the theme of the book

• the moral of the book

• what the story is mostly about

The central element of a story that ties together all parts of the story.

The topic/subject helps you to?

• figure out the main idea

• answer definitions

• look for the point of view

When trying to decide the main idea of a text, what is the first question you need to ask yourself?

• What are the vocabulary words

• What am I doing?

• What does the author want me to know about the topic?

These help to give text evidence about the central/main idea.

• Sentences

• Paragraphs

• Supporting Details

Sara crossed the beach. It was early morning, and no one was there. She was rushing to search for shells. She loved to collect shells. She searched for them every morning. What is the main idea of this text?

• Sara likes getting shells on the beach

• Sara gets up early in the morning

• Sara goes to the beach when no one is there.

The CENTRAL IDEA of a nonfiction text needs to always be supported with...

• The reader's opinion

• Author's who are reliable

• Supporting Details

• Concluding sentences