Finding Main Ideas

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Finding Main Ideas

• Developmental Reading

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How Are Reading and Writing Related?

• The act of reading and writing involve the same
  skills. Both require a student to use word
  knowledge, sentence structure, and paragraph
  organization to either convey a message or to
  decode a message.

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Terms Used in the Writing Process

• Topic sentence - The topic sentence is a
  STATEMENT (telling sentence) placed in a
  paragraph which states the topic and the main
  point or points which will be made about the
  topic.

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Terms Used in the Writing Process

• Thesis statement - A thesis statement is a
  STATEMENT (telling sentence) placed in the
  introductory paragraph of an essay which states
  the topic and the main point or points which
  will be discussed in the essay.

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Terms Used in the Reading Process

• Topic - The topic of a paragraph identifies who
  or what the reading passage is about.
• A skillful reader should ask the following
  question in order to discover the topic of a
  reading passage.
• Who or what have I just read about?
• (What was the topic of this passage?)

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Terms Used in the Reading Process

• Main idea - The main idea of a passage tells what
  point or points the author will make about the
  topic.
• A skillful reader should ask the following
  question in order to discover the main idea of a
  reading passage.
• What was the main point or points the author
  made about the topic?

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Discovering the Main Idea of a Selection

• Main ideas can be presented in two ways. The
  main idea may be either stated or implied.
• REMEMBER A stated main idea is a sentence found
  in the reading passage which states the topic and
  the main point or points being made about that
  topic.

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Discovering the Main Idea of a Selection

• An implied main idea means that the author has
  chosen not to use a statement in the selection or
  passage to tell the reader the topic and main
  idea. The reader must read the passage and
  determine the main idea from the information that
  is presented. The READER is responsible for
  composing a statement of the main idea.

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Discovering the Main Idea of a Selection

• On standardized reading tests, a students
  ability to distinguish implied main ideas is
  tested by reading a passage and then choosing
  from four or five possible statements of the main
  idea.
• REMEMBER An implied main idea is NEVER a
  statement taken directly from the passage.

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Discovering the Main Idea of a Selection

• The main idea of a selection must always be
  supported by the supporting details.
• Supporting details are the facts, reasons,
  examples, or testimonies which are given to prove
  the main idea.

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Discovering the Main Idea of a Selection

• A skillful reader can determine the main idea of
  a selection or passage by answering these
  important questions
• 1. What is the topic of this passage?
• 2. What is/are the main point or points made
• about this topic?
• 3. What do the supporting details prove?