GACE Paraprofessional (349)

This chapter covers the Main Idea and Supporting Details objective. You will learn how to tell the topic of a passage from its main idea, how to find a main idea that is stated or only implied, how supporting details work, how to spot information that does not belong, and how to judge summaries and titles. The chapter also covers author's purpose and point of view. Main idea questions are among the most common on any reading test, so this chapter deserves careful study.

These three terms are related but different, and confusing them leads to wrong answers.

The topic is what the passage is about, usually in one to three words. Example: "school gardens."

The main idea is the most important point the author makes about the topic, stated as a complete sentence. Example: "School gardens help students learn science while also improving their eating habits."

Supporting details are the facts, examples, reasons and descriptions that explain or prove the main idea. Example: "Students who grew vegetables were more willing to taste them at lunch."

Memory Aid: Think of an umbrella. The main idea is the umbrella, and the supporting details are the people standing under it. Every detail must fit under the umbrella. If the umbrella is too small, some details get wet, which means your main idea is too narrow. If it is so large that it could cover an entire city, it is too broad.

Sometimes the author states the main idea directly in a single sentence called the topic sentence. In many paragraphs it appears first, but it can also appear in the middle or at the end, especially when the author builds up to a point.

Read this original paragraph:

"Owning a dog can improve a person's physical health. Dog owners tend to walk more often than people without pets, since dogs need daily exercise. Regular walking strengthens the heart and helps control weight. In addition, playing fetch or running in the yard gives owners extra activity they might otherwise skip."

The first sentence states the main idea. Every other sentence gives a reason or example showing how dogs improve physical health.

Now read a paragraph where the main idea comes last:

"The bus was late. The cafeteria ran out of chocolate milk before Dana reached the front of the line. Then, during recess, it began to rain, and everyone had to stay inside. By the time the final bell rang, Dana was sure this had been the worst Monday of the year."

The details build up to the final sentence, which states the main idea: Dana had a terrible day.

When the main idea is implied, no single sentence states it. You have to add up the details and put the main idea into your own words. This is harder, and the test uses it often.

Worked Example: Determine the implied main idea of this paragraph.

"Kofi checked the weather forecast three times before leaving the house. He packed two water bottles, extra socks, a first aid kit and a map, even though his phone had GPS. He told both his parents and his neighbor exactly which trail he would hike and what time he expected to return."

List what each detail shows: checking the weather, packing supplies, carrying a backup map, telling people his plans.

Ask what all the details have in common: each one is a way of staying safe or being prepared.

Write a sentence that covers all the details but nothing extra.

Result: The implied main idea is that Kofi was very careful to prepare for a safe hike.

Common Trap: Answer choices for implied main idea questions often include one detail repeated from the passage, such as "Kofi packed extra socks." That statement is true, but it is only one detail, not the main idea. Another trap is a choice that is too broad, like "Hiking can be dangerous." Choose the statement that covers all the details and only those details.

Not all details are equally important. Major details directly support the main idea. Minor details support or explain the major details by adding examples, numbers or descriptions.

When a question asks which detail best supports the main idea, the strongest choice is usually a major detail or a minor detail that clearly connects to the main point.

An irrelevant sentence is one that does not support the main idea, even if it is on the same general topic. Test questions may ask which sentence does not belong or which sentence could be removed without hurting the paragraph.

Read this paragraph and look for the sentence that does not belong:

"(1) Honeybees play an important role in growing food. (2) As bees move from flower to flower collecting nectar, they carry pollen that allows plants to produce fruit. (3) Crops such as apples, almonds and blueberries depend heavily on bee pollination. (4) Some people are allergic to bee stings and must carry medicine. (5) Without bees, farmers would harvest far less of these foods."

Sentence 4 is about bees, so it may seem related. However, the main idea is the role bees play in growing food, and allergies have nothing to do with that. Sentence 4 is irrelevant.

A summary restates the main idea and the most important supporting details in a shorter form and in your own words. A good summary is accurate, brief, and neutral. It does not add new information or opinions, and it does not get lost in small details.

Good and Weak Summaries

Worked Example: Choose the best summary approach for this passage.

"For many years, the town of Millbrook had no public pool, and children spent hot summer days indoors. A group of parents began raising money by holding car washes and bake sales. After two summers of fundraising, they had enough to convince the town council to match their money. The pool opened the following June, and on its first day more than four hundred residents came to swim."

Identify the main idea: parents worked to get a public pool built in their town.

Identify the key steps: no pool, parents raised money, the council matched it, the pool opened and was popular.

Drop minor details such as the specific fundraising events and the exact number of swimmers.

Write the summary in your own words without opinions.

Result: A strong summary would read, "Parents in Millbrook raised money for a public pool, the town council matched their funds, and the new pool opened to a large crowd."

Notice that a summary saying "The parents in Millbrook were heroes who deserve an award" adds an opinion, and a summary saying "Parents held car washes and bake sales" leaves out most of the story. Neither would be the best choice.

A good title reflects the main idea of the whole passage. When a question asks which title best fits a passage, apply the same test you use for main idea: the title should cover the entire passage, not just one paragraph, and it should not promise more than the passage delivers.

For the Millbrook passage, "A Community Builds Its Pool" fits well. "Bake Sales" is too narrow, and "The History of Swimming" is far too broad.

Author's purpose is the reason an author writes a text. The three broad purposes are to persuade, to inform and to entertain. Many teachers and tests also include to explain, to describe and to instruct, which are closely related to informing.

Common Author's Purposes

Memory Aid: Remember PIE for Persuade, Inform and Entertain. Some teachers add extra letters, such as PIE'ED for Persuade, Inform, Entertain, Explain and Describe.

Look at three short texts on the same topic, recycling:

"Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television for about three hours." The purpose is to inform.

"Every family on Elm Street should start recycling today. It takes only a minute and protects the planet our children will inherit." The purpose is to persuade.

"Rusty the soda can dreamed of becoming something new. When he tumbled into the blue recycling bin, he hoped he would come back as a shiny bicycle." The purpose is to entertain.

The phrase point of view can mean two different things on a reading test, so read questions carefully.

First, it can mean the narrative point of view, which is who is telling a story.

Second, point of view can mean an author's perspective, which is the author's attitude or position on a topic. Two authors can write about the same event from different perspectives. A farmer and a city commuter might view a new highway through farmland very differently.

Tone is the attitude an author shows toward the subject through word choice. Tone words appear often in answer choices.

Common Tone Words

Worked Example: Determine the author's perspective in this passage.

"The city council's plan to replace Riverside Park with a parking garage is shortsighted. Yes, drivers downtown struggle to find spaces. But the park is the only green space within two miles for hundreds of families, and once it is paved, it will never return."

The topic is a word or phrase; the main idea is a full sentence that tells the author's main point about the topic.

The best main idea covers all the details without being too narrow or too broad.

An irrelevant sentence is usually on the same topic but does not support the specific main idea.

A good summary is short, accurate, neutral and in your own words; a good title fits the whole passage.

Author's purpose is usually to persuade, inform or entertain; tone and word choice reveal the author's perspective.