paragraph, and sometimes it is not stated directly at all. in these cases, students need a strategy to “search out” and identify the main idea.
most students can successfully identify the topic. they run into problems when they confuse the topic with the main idea. when asked what the main idea is, many will simply state the topic. and when asked to be more specific, they will often suggest details from the selection.
“what message is the writer sending you? because you can’t remember everything you read, what is the one thing the writer wants you to remember?” that’s the main idea.
point out the difference between a topic and a main idea. 