Understanding Key Ideas and Details in Informational Text
Understanding Key Ideas and Details in Informational Text Objective: Students will be able to identify the main idea and key details in an informational text and explain how these details support the main idea.
Learning Objectives
- Understand what the main idea of a text is.
- Identify key details that support the main idea.
- Explain how details help us understand the main idea better.
Materials Needed
- A short informational article or passage suitable for a 6-year-old (about 1-2 paragraphs)
- Paper and pencil
- Highlighters or colored pencils
Key Vocabulary
- Main Idea
- The most important point or the big idea the author wants to share.
- Key Details
- Important pieces of information that help explain or support the main idea.
- Informational Text
- A type of writing that gives facts and information about a topic.
Detailed Activities
Read and Discover the Main Idea
- Read the short informational passage aloud with your child or have them read it silently.
- Ask your child what they think the passage is mostly about to help identify the main idea.
- Write down the main idea together in one simple sentence.
Find Key Details
- Reread the passage and ask your child to highlight or underline important facts or details.
- Discuss how each detail helps explain or support the main idea.
- Write down 2-3 key details that support the main idea.
Explain and Share
- Have your child explain in their own words how the key details support the main idea.
- Encourage them to use complete sentences and examples from the text.
- Praise their efforts and review the main idea and details together.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- If your child struggles to find the main idea, try asking questions like, ‘What is this mostly about?’ or ‘What do you think the author wants us to learn?’
- Use simple, familiar topics for the informational text to keep your child interested and engaged.
- Keep the reading sessions short and positive to maintain their attention.
Assessment Questions
- What is the main idea of the passage you read?
- Can you name two details that tell us more about the main idea?
- How do these details help us understand the main idea better?
Extension Ideas
- Have your child draw a picture that shows the main idea and key details.
- Find another short informational text on a favorite topic and repeat the activity.
- Create a simple chart with two columns: one for the main idea and one for key details.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your child struggles to understand most of the words or the main idea, try a shorter or simpler text. Use texts about familiar topics to make it easier.
Gently guide them by asking questions about what they read and help them focus on the most important point. Practice with more texts will help improve this skill.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students may confuse the main idea with a detail.
- Students might focus on personal opinions instead of the author’s main point.
- Some students might list too many details without connecting them to the main idea.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use shorter texts with clear and simple language.
- Read the passage together aloud and discuss it sentence by sentence.
- Use pictures or drawings to support understanding of the text.
For Advanced Students:
- Ask them to write a short summary including the main idea and key details.
- Encourage them to compare two informational texts on the same topic.
- Introduce vocabulary words from the text and explore their meanings.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 10-15 minutes reading and discussing the passage.
- Allow 15 minutes for identifying and writing key details.
- Use the remaining 15 minutes for explaining and reviewing concepts.
Standards
- 6.RI.2 — Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Printable Worksheet
Plan Your Own Lesson
Looking for a custom lesson plan? Try our Lesson Planning Generator — create standards-based plans for any topic, instantly!
Common Core Aligned Lesson Plans
Looking for another common core lesson? See all of the lesson plans here.
More Free Lesson Plans
We’re adding more every week! Check back soon or explore all our lesson plans here.
Leave a Reply