FCAT READING SKILL: Determine Main Idea: Stated or Implied

FCAT READING SKILL

Determine the Main Idea, Stated or Implied

1. What to do and what to watch for: The main idea tells what the whole passage is

about. The main idea is the main or most important point the writer wants to make.

2. Read the title of the passage. The title is written in BOLD at the top of the

passage. Find the title before you read the passage. Read it and think about it by

asking:

What is this reading all about?

What’s the main point?

Why did the writer write this?

What information will I get from this reading?

What is the BIG picture here?

Why would someone want to read this?

3. Read the introduction. The introduction is right under the title. It is one or two

sentences written in ITALICS. Just like the title, the introduction gives important

information about what you are going to read. Sometimes, the introduction tells you

the main idea before you read. After you read the introduction, think about it by

asking yourself the same questions you asked about the title.

4. Read the passage. Is there a topic sentence? This is a sentence that explains in

a few words what the whole passage is all about. This sentence tells the main idea

or topic of the passage. Often, the topic sentence is the first sentence, but

sometimes you will find it in the middle or at the end. When you find a topic

sentence, you have found the stated main idea.

TOPIC SENTENCE + DETAILS = STATED MAIN IDEA

With Stated main idea, you can prove your answer by going directly to the passage to

check it. Your answer is clearly stated in the passage, and should be easy to find.

Questions on stated main idea are based on what is written exactly or stated in the

passage itself. For these questions, you go directly to the reading and look for the

information. In other words, prove it!

Example:

There are many different ways to make a friend. One way to make a

friend is to be a friend. If someone needs you, be there. Second, remember that

everyone is a different person. Respect the way other people are, and get to

know them. They will respect you, and want to get to know you too. Another

thing you can do is always to be kind to everyone. You’d be surprised how many

great friends are waiting for you.

Cassandra Yorke

Department of Multicultural Education

The first sentence is the topic sentence. The other sentences tell the details to

support the main idea, “ways to make a friend.” You can test your answer because

the topic sentence states this idea. Also, all of the other sentences (the details) are

talking about the same main idea.

DETAIL: Be a friend

DETAIL: Respect other people

DETAIL: Get to know them

5. Use graphic organizers. You can visualize or organize the main idea and details in

many different ways. Take a look at another graphic organizer.

DETAIL:

Respect other people

DETAIL: DETAIL:

Be a friend Be kind

DETAIL:

MAIN IDEA:

Topic

Sentence:

There are many

different ways to

make a friend.

Get to know them

Cassandra Yorke

Department of Multicultural Education

6. Pay attention to the details. Details are little pieces of information that tell more

about the main idea. Details support the main idea and are connected to the main

idea. All of the details will talk about the main idea and lead you to the main idea,

like little clues. The main idea covers all of the details.

DETAIL

MAIN IDEA

7. Read actively. This means that while you are reading, you continue to ask yourself

questions to anticipate what is coming next.

What is the writer trying to say here?

What do the details have in common?

What can I infer from the information I have read so far?

What do these details add up to?

In other words, if the main idea is not stated, then it is implied. The implied main

idea is not stated, it is only suggested. There is not a topic sentence, so you need to

be a good detective. Pay attention to the details, and put them together with your

own knowledge to determine the main idea. This is called drawing an inference.

You draw an inference to find the implied main idea:

IMPLIED

MAIN

IDEA

=

YOUR

KNOWLEDGE

+

DETAILS

Example: Miguel got an “F” on his history test. He only completed 30% of the

classwork, and 0% of his homework. When the teacher called Miguel’s father,

Miguel was grounded for a month. He had to bring his books home every night

and sit at the kitchen table to study.

Cassandra Yorke

Department of Multicultural Education

The following graphic organizer is one way to organize the details of the passage

and your own knowledge of the topic.

YOUR

KNOWLEDGE

• “F” on a test

means you fail.

• You have to do

homework to

pass a class.

• Finish your

class work to

pass a class.

• You’re in

trouble when

the teacher

calls home.

• If you fail you

get grounded.

• A failing grade

means study

hard at home

to bring up

your grade.

DETAILS

• Miguel got an

“F” on his

history test.

• He only

completed

30% of the

class work,

and 0% of his

homework.

• The teacher

called home.

• He was

grounded for

a month.

• He brought

his books

home every

night to study.

IMPLIED

MAIN

IDEA

Miguel

failed

history

class!

If you think while you are reading (read actively), then you know that all of these

details + what you know about school (your knowledge) add up to one thing (the

main idea). Miguel failed history class! The passage never stated directly the main

idea, but you can figure it out (infer) from the details PLUS what you yourself know.

Cassandra Yorke

Department of Multicultural Education

Name: __________________________

Title: __________________________________________

MAIN IDEA

__________________________________________________________________________________

DETAIL______________________________________________

______________________________________________________

DETAIL______________________________________________

______________________________________________________

DETAIL______________________________________________

______________________________________________________

DETAIL______________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Cassandra Yorke

Department of Multicultural Education

Name: ______________________________

Title: __________________________ Author _____________

DETAIL:

______________________________________________________________________

DETAIL:

______________________________________________________________________

DETAIL:

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

______________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_______________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Cassandra Yorke

Department of Multicultural Education

Name: ____________________________

Main Idea and Details SPIDER

The spider’s body is the main idea. Each leg is a different detail.

Title: __________________________ Author _____________

Cassandra Yorke

Department of Multicultural Education

Name: ____________________________

IDENTIFYING MAIN IDEA and DETAILS

Title/Topic/Text: _______________________ Author: _______________

Cassandra Yorke

Department of Multicultural Education

Name: _______________________________

Title/Topic/Text: _______________________ Author: _______________

IMPLIED MAIN IDEA

Follow the clues that lead you to the main idea.

CLUE #1 tells…. … What I know about it personally is…

____________________________________ ____________________________________

CLUE #2 tells…. … What I know about it personally is…

____________________________________ ____________________________________

CLUE #3 tells…. … What I know about it personally is…

____________________________________ ____________________________________

CLUE #4 tells…. … What I know about it personally is…

____________________________________ ____________________________________

IMPLIED MAIN IDEA

What’s it all about? Did you figure it out?

______________________________________________________________________

Cassandra Yorke

Department of Multicultural Education

______________________________________________________________________

Name: _____________________________________

Title: _______________________________ Author _________________

IMPLIED MAIN IDEA

Details:

1.__________________

___________________

2.__________________

___________________

3.__________________

___________________

4.__________________

___________________

Your knowledge:

1.__________________

___________________

2.__________________

___________________

3.__________________

___________________

4.__________________

___________________

Implied Main Idea

What’s it all about?

Did you figure it out?

______________

What’s it all about?

+ =

Cassandra Yorke

Department of Multicultural Education

Name: _______________________________

Title/Topic/Text: _______________________ Author: _______________

TOPIC SENTENCE

________________________________________________________________

+

DETAILS

1.________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

2.________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

3.________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

4.________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

___________________________

=

STATED MAIN IDEA

_____________________________________________________________________

Cassandra Yorke

Department of Multicultural Education

Name: _____________________________