A comprehensive course to build reading comprehension, analysis, and critical thinking skills for the MAP 7th Grade Reading test.
When you read a story or an article, you’ll notice there's always a big idea—something the author really wants you to understand. The main idea is like the heart of the passage, while the details are clues that support and explain this idea.
Details are the facts, examples, or descriptions that help explain the main idea. They answer questions like who, what, when, where, why, and how.
Being able to identify the main idea and details helps you summarize passages, answer questions accurately, and remember important information.
Whether you're reading a news article, following instructions, or listening to a friend, recognizing the main idea and supporting details helps you understand and communicate more clearly.
Reading about the water cycle, you realize the passage is mostly explaining how water moves between land, air, and oceans—the main idea.
In a story about a lost dog, details like 'the dog’s collar was blue' and 'he barked at the red mailbox' support the main idea of the dog’s adventure.
Learn to spot the main idea and supporting details in any text.