Lessons & Units

Main Idea Kindergarten Unit

Lessons

Lesson 1 What the Book is Mainly About Identify and describe what a book is mainly about using the title, text, and pictures.
Amazing Tigers!
Amazing Tigers!
Ladybugs
Ladybugs
Lesson 2 Using Pictures to Support the Main Idea Identify pictures that describe what the book is mainly about.
Amazing Tigers!
Amazing Tigers!
Farm Animals
Farm Animals
Amazing Whales!
Amazing Whales!
Lesson 3 Using Details to Create a Title Create a title for a book using textual details.
Amazing Gorillas!
Amazing Gorillas!
In the Wild: Leopards
In the Wild: Leopards

Unit Extension Ideas

  • Copy pictures from books read aloud in class. Have students identify the main idea and create titles for them.
  • Discuss titles of fiction books and how these titles reflect what the books are mainly about.
  • Have students create a new title for a story based on what it is mostly about.
  • Provide students with titles of familiar books and copies of pictures from the books. Students can match the pictures to the titles and explain what the book is mostly about.
  • Cover the title of a book. After reading the book aloud, work with students to complete a graphic organizer. Chart details and use them to determine a title for the story. (See Additional Activity A in Teacher and Student Materials below.)
  • Before a read aloud, cover the title and do a picture walk. As you do the picture walk, brainstorm a list of words to describe what the book is about. Use this list to create a title for the book.
  • In Shared Writing, provide students with a title and have the students create a story based on the main idea of the book.
  • Make a class Main Idea Big Book. Students may illustrate and describe what their favorite books are mostly about.
  • Tell students a story and have them create a title for your story or draw a picture that shows the main idea.
  • Cover the title of a poem and read it aloud. Create a title for the poem based on what it is mainly about.
  • Use wordless books such as The Snowman by Raymond Briggs or Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola to create a title for a book. Cover the title and do a picture walk. Write down important details in the story and create a title for it.

Teacher and Student Materials

More Books for Teaching Main Idea

Butterflies: Scholastic First Discoveries

Butterflies: Scholastic First Discoveries

Before reading the book, do a picture walk. Have students use the title and pictures to identify what the book is mostly about. After reading the book, have students record the main idea in a journal using the prompt, “What is this book mostly about?” They can also include an illustration.

Bread Bread Bread

Bread Bread Bread

Fountas and Pinnell
F
Lexile
450L

Cover up the title and do a picture walk through the book. Have students write a title for the book based on what they think it is mostly about.

The Pumpkin Book

The Pumpkin Book

Fountas and Pinnell
M
Lexile
570L

After reading the book aloud, have students illustrate and describe what the book is mostly about.

A Day with Firefighters

A Day with Firefighters

Fountas and Pinnell
H
Lexile
BR

Before reading this book aloud, photocopy some of the pictures in the book as well as some pictures from other books. Read the title aloud and show students the pictures. Have them use the pictures to determine which pictures will be in the book and what the book will mostly be about.

The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty

Fountas and Pinnell
S
Lexile
510L

After reading the book aloud, have students complete a graphic organizer detailing what the book is mostly about. (See additional activities in unit for a sample graphic organizer.)

The American Flag

The American Flag

Lexile
520L

Before reading this book aloud, photocopy some of the pictures in the book as well as some pictures from other books. Read the title aloud and show students the pictures. Have them use the pictures to determine which pictures will be in the book and what the book will mostly be about.

User Comments

Love the organization of the lesson. I'm an intervention teacher. I do not have a class, but work with other students from k-3. I would like to introduce them in using graphic organizer when teaching reading..

Submitted by rjames_1415643 on 5/5/15

I like the organization you provide with three sequential lessons.This also helps the student to grasp the skills more easily. I have been using these lessons with confidence.

Submitted by Jackie on 12/4/12