Using Sentence Frames to Teach Main/Central Idea in Informational Text
Students are often able to pick out key facts and ideas from grade-level text, but there is an added layer of complexity in determining an overarching idea or concept—especially when it’s not explicitly stated in the text itself. When teaching students to read Informational Text, one of the most challenging concepts is determining the main, or central idea of a passage. Below, we’ve paired a Quick Assessment on Informational Text with a Sentence Frames resource.
Download the Reading Assessment Packet on Informational Text.
Sentence frames, like the example included in this post, are an excellent, multi-grade form of support that any student can use to analyze what they’re reading.
Here’s what’s included:
1. Description
This sentence frame gives students a template for explaining a single concept or term that they encountered in the passage.
2. Compare/Contrast
Using this sentence frame, students have a clear way to express the similarities and differences between two concepts from the passage.
3. Sequence
A sequence sentence frame helps students order the information they’ve read in a given selection/passage.
4. Problem/Solution
A problem/solution sentence frame challenges students to think about the writer/speaker’s argument in the passage.
5. Cause/Effect
This sentence frame gives students a template for expressing a cause and effect relationship that might be present in the passage.
Any of these sentence frames can be used to help students arrive at the main/central idea in a selection of text. Ready to give it a try? Download the Quick Assessment on Informational Text below, along with the Sentence Frames resource.
Download the Reading Assessment Packet on Informational Text.
