# data[].attributes.body
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.2
With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Over the 20 years I have been a kindergarten teacher, assessment has changed dramatically. When I first began teaching, educators' observations and self-made assessments were honored as appropriate ways to document young children's growth and mastery. My colleagues and I used our own assessments and observations to plan instruction based on what our students needed. We had the flexibility to evaluate children in areas that were appropriate for them. For example, we could delay assessing reading skills if a child did not yet show an understanding of the difference between letters, words, and numbers.

Assessment in today's kindergarten classrooms, unfortunately, looks at times like what we would expect in upper-grade classrooms, with proctors and secure testing materials. Teachers are often not allowed to assess their own students (in order to protect the integrity of the results), and the results are sometimes used to measure teacher performance (whether or not the assessments have been designed and validated for use in high-stakes decisions).

Timed assessments and scripted directions, which must be read word for word, provide valuable information but offer no flexibility for our young learners. Even when children are just beginning to learn English, I am required to assess them in English-according to the script, not to their needs. I have sat with many frustrated children, some near tears, as I asked them to read sight words during their second week of kindergarten. I will never forget the defeat on one child's face as she looked up at me with a quivering chin and said, "But I can't read." Despite how positive and nonchalant I tried to be during that assessment, assuring her that I did not expect her to read the words, the formal assessment experience affected this child's confidence and her excitement for learning.

It would be easy to have a sweeping negative view of assessments in the current climate. Like many teachers, I have felt dread when someone mentioned assessments. But I know that long before this age of high-stakes accountability, intentional teachers were developing and using assessments as powerful tools in their toolboxes.

Intentional teachers gather data that are needed to guide instruction, ensuring that all children grow and learn at the right pace. We use assessments to find our students' strengths and to figure out which areas we need to target for early intervention. We use varying methods of observation and assessment to find out what young learners are able to do, so that we can help them progress. These varied strategies are important for all young children, and especially so for dual language learners (DLLs).

Intentional assessments prevent unintentional errors

I teach kindergarten in a rural, high-poverty school in North Carolina that has a diverse student population, including children who speak a language other than English at home and whose parents (and often other family members) are migrant workers, often coming from Mexico. Most of my DLL students live in homes where Spanish is the primary language; some children are learning both Spanish and a dialect of Mixtec at home, but these students communicate in Spanish (and in their emergent English) in the classroom. Many of our migrant families return to the area year after year during spring and early summer. These families travel up and down the East Coast, as well as to areas such as Michigan, to work in agriculture.

I serve as a North Carolina Kindergarten Demonstration classroom teacher, which means my role extends beyond the classroom. The NC Pre-K/K Demonstration Program's guiding mission is to "lead by modeling, sharing, promoting, and articulating effective learning environments, curricula, and instructional practices to ensure optimal learning and development for all children" (Public Schools of North Carolina, n.d.). My classroom is open to teachers and other educators for professional development in the form of full-day guided observations. These guided observations allow visitors to see best practices in action. I provide visitors with ongoing support as we all continue to grow and change in our own practice. I also work with other Demonstration teachers to present at local and state conferences.

Intentional teachers gather data that are needed to guide instruction, ensuring that all children grow and learn.

I often begin the school year with children who speak little to no English. These students struggle on our required early literacy assessment-the previously mentioned assessments that I am required to administer in English, word for word, in September-and are automatically labeled at risk. My colleagues and I are able to use the data from these assessments to help identify students who need more support and interventions in literacy skills. The danger with relying solely on scripted, inflexible assessments is the labeling and grouping of children with a broad stroke. We might target skills based on these test results without fully realizing what our children need. It would be easy for me to group all of these "at risk" children together in the same skill-based intervention group because they all had the same score on the reading assessment that focused on book and print concepts. But for me, the mandated assessment is just the beginning. I dig deeper to find out what I need to know in order to provide opportunities for growth for all of my students. I have learned valuable information by using my own observations and assessments to find the knowledge and skills the children do have. With book and print concept inventories from the works of literacy researcher Marie Clay (1993), along with my own very limited Spanish skills, I try to assess my Spanish-speaking students in their native language as much as possible.

Our school has been fortunate to have an English as a second language (ESL) teacher who speaks Spanish. She serves all of the emergent bilingual children at our school, K-5. I try to assess what I can using my limited Spanish skills and then use the ESL teacher as a resource to dig deeper, when needed.

What I find most useful is systematically observing children throughout the day in the natural learning environment.

Administering my own additional assessments confirmed that a number of these children did not, in fact, know any print concepts. They were unfamiliar with holding a book, turning the pages, and using pictures to enhance meaning. It was evident they'd had very limited early literacy experiences, even in their home language. But I also found out that some of these "at risk" students were familiar with book and print concepts. My assessments showed that they understood the difference between the front and back of a book, knew the difference between print and pictures, tracked left to right when looking at the text, and looked closely at the pictures on each page. Some even knew that a period at the end of the sentence signifies a stop. Their at-risk scores on the required assessment were not representative of poor early literacy knowledge and skills, but rather, were indicative of their nascent English language skills. They clearly had engaged in many literacy experiences with their families before entering kindergarten.

While all of these students had the same results on the mandated assessment, my more nuanced assessments provided valuable information that enabled me to target the children's very different needs.

To ensure that I have all necessary information, I begin each school year with informal checklists assessing children's alphabet and numeral recognition, knowledge of colors and shapes, and rote and object counting abilities. I have found that this is important for all of the children, not just the DLLs. For example, I often have students who speak only English who are not able to count past five or to identify basic colors and shapes. I observe and assess these children frequently in the first weeks and months of kindergarten to see if and to what extent they are making progress. That helps me determine whether their limited knowledge is due to lack of exposure to these concepts-a problem I can address-or whether there are other issues, such as cognitive or developmental delays, that would require additional assessments and supports by specialists.

One pitfall I have learned to watch out for is not giving to my students who are just starting to learn English the same focus and opportunities that I give to children whose home language is English. I once again gain valuable information by evaluating which DLLs can identify numbers, shapes, and colors in their first language and which children cannot. That way, I can provide these students with the same opportunities for individualized early interventions as their English-only peers and not let them slip through the cracks simply because of their limited English.

The ESL teacher, Ms. Worley,and I regularly share observations with each other. Her fluent Spanish skills allow her to find out more about our Spanish-speaking students' strengths and needs in their native language. While she focuses in Spanish and English on building the conceptual knowledge of the DLLs with the most challenges (and on determining whether additional supports are called for), I target English vocabulary with the students who already know basic shapes and colors in their first language.

Intentional assessments throughout the day

Doing my own flexible assessments enables me to collect information about students that goes beyond the scripted, mandated assessments. I do observations and keep running records that allow me to look at each student as a whole child, including a child's approaches to learning, language development and communication, cognitive development, emotional and social development, and health and physical development.

What I find most useful is systematically observing children throughout the day in the natural learning environment. This practice, which all intentional teachers use, doesn't interrupt instruction. The challenge comes from recording or documenting what I learn from watching the children so that I can reflect on the information and use it to guide and differentiate instruction. Current technology aids in information gathering. Photos and videos are quick and easy ways to document student learning. Some free software platforms (such as Seesaw, available at https://web.seesaw.me/) even empower children to use technology to document their learning.

Assessing children during engaging play

I have found that my classroom schedule and environment play a large role in my ability to collect data throughout the day. Large blocks of uninterrupted time, when children can play and make choices, set the stage for gathering meaningful information about each of my young learners. When children are able to choose where they are going to play, they tend to pick areas where they feel safe and experience some confidence. This is a great opportunity to observe their skills and strengths. North Carolina Guide for the Early Years states that "preschool and kindergarten children are more likely to perform at their best when engaged in interesting and meaningful classroom projects they choose themselves-such as real reading and writing activities rather than only skills testing" (Public Schools of North Carolina 2009, 79). Anecdotal notes, photos, and videos are useful for documenting children's abilities. They provide additional evidence, especially when children are not able to use oral language to fully showcase their learning (which may arise among both DLLs and English-only children, such as children with autism).

I have had several DLLs who were not able to retell a story in English. This was a concern because they would need to retell a simple story on the state reading assessment. One particular student, Alonso, stands out in my mind. Ms. Worley and I had been observing him closely for possible developmental delays that might be hidden by his limited English proficiency. Alonso could not orally retell familiar stories that we had read together over and over. It would have been easy to believe that he lacked an understanding of sense of story and that his receptive and productive language skills were lacking-possibly in both Spanish and English. Observing him during play provided me with valuable information that debunked these assumptions.

Alonso loved the block center and was able to engage with peers despite his limited English. He had confidence when playing in this center and felt comfortable taking risks. One time when he was in the block center, he built three small structures. When I asked him about the structures, he said they were the pig houses. I realized he was retelling The Three Little Pigs, a book we had been reading. I sat and observed Alonso as he used small wolf and pig figurines to act out the story, completely in order, including the beginning, middle, and ending.

Alonso used simple, key phrases from the story and showed an understanding of character and setting. I knew then that his receptive language skills were stronger than I had thought and that, while he was not able to successfully retell a story orally with many details in English, he did in fact understand the story we'd read together and had a concept of story sequence. I updated Alonso's learning target to "building vocabulary in order to retell simple stories," replacing the assumed learning goal of sequencing stories. Because of my careful observations and record keeping of Alonso's engagement in play that was meaningful to him, I was better able to address his needs.

By focusing on flexible, ongoing, intentional assessments, teachers are better able to fully address their students' needs.

Another example of choice and play creating great opportunities for information gathering is when students play with their peers. When my DLLs play with peers who are bilingual, they show more confidence and I am then better able to observe their strengths. I recently observed a non-English-speaking student playing a counting game with a bilingual peer; both were counting and conversing in Spanish. I listened to and saw their oral and object counting skills while they played. The student who was just beginning to learn English performed much better in this setting than he would have if I had called him over to a table and asked him to count. In the midst of play, he was not as self-aware or worried that he did not yet know how to count in English as he would have been if he were trying to answer my questions.

Asking probing questions

Early childhood educators are skilled at asking questions in different ways to find out what young learners know and understand. In many instances I've had to reframe questions asked by another staff member or an administrator so that my 5-year-old students comprehend what is being asked. Often the adult laughs and responds, "See, that's why you're the kindergarten teacher and I'm not!" We must use this same skill when observing our students.

We must intentionally reframe questions to elicit the information we are looking for. There are times when I can simply ask questions and use the children's oral responses as evidence of learning, but there are often other times, especially with my DLLs, when I must break the question apart or say "show me." As I listen to my students explain what they are showing me, I gain valuable insights.

Two wonderful, free resources that have helped me plan and set up environments that promote opportunities for assessing and questioning throughout the day are the North Carolina Guide for the Early Years (Public Schools of North Carolina 2009) and the North Carolina Kindergarten Center Posters and Planning Guides (Public Schools of North Carolina 2019). The Guide for the Early Years ( www.dpi.state.nc.us/earlylearning/resources/) is an extensive document that promotes best practices in early childhood classrooms. It combines research and teacher-tested strategies, and it has examples of questions teachers can ask that extend children's thinking. Each chapter is dedicated to a different learning center and lists associated questions.

For teachers who are struggling with how to uncover their students' thinking and understanding, this is a great place to start. I have used these lists of questions to make small charts that detail ways to check for understanding and place them in each center in my classroom. They serve as reminders not just to me, but to my teacher assistant, interns, and volunteers as well. For example, questions to promote children's thinking in the math center include "What other ways can we show that?," "How can we do this differently?," "Tell me how you did that," "Why do you think that?," and "Tell me how you figured that out." Over the years, this shift in thinking has allowed both my teacher assistant and myself to focus on the process of learning-not just on our students' finished products. In the art center, for example, the teacher assistant and I both make comments like, "You worked really hard on that. How did you come up with that idea?," instead of something more general, like, "That's a beautiful painting."

The North Carolina Kindergarten Center Posters and Planning Guides ( https://bit.ly/2DfitTz) is a collection of resources for planning center-based classrooms, including information on art, block, books and listening, dramatic play, math, science, and writing centers. The planning guides explicitly describe how children may engage in each center and how intentional teachers can support their learning. They serve as a starting place for teachers to think about what types of skills are addressed and what types of data they could gather at different centers. The posters include standards for all development and learning domains that might be addressed when children are working in the centers. A quick glance at these standards serves as a reminder of how we teachers can use centers as assessment tools. The posters also include several questions to ask, once again prompting teachers to use questioning as a way to gather information and promote learning.

Conclusion

By focusing on flexible, ongoing, intentional assessments, teachers are better able to fully address their students' needs. My colleagues and I are ensuring that all of our young learners have the same opportunities to grow and succeed. My assessments allow me to focus on the children's strengths and to dig deeper into their individual needs. This is true with all of my students and is especially true with my dual language learners.

I hope that by sharing my experiences, I have motivated my fellow teachers to feel empowered to continue using assessments as a powerful tool in their toolboxes. Step back when you feel overwhelmed by mandated assessments, particularly those that interrupt instructional time, and take inventory of the countless other ways you dig deeper to identify the strengths of your young students. They deserve nothing less.

References

Clay, M.M. 1993. An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Public Schools of North Carolina. 2009. North Carolina Guide for the Early Years. 2nd ed. Raleigh: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. www.dpi.state.nc.us/earlylearning/resources/.

Public Schools of North Carolina. 2017. North Carolina Construct Progressions and Situations: NC K-3 Formative Assessment Process. 2nd ed. Raleigh: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Office of Early Learning. www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/earlylearning/kea/construct-progression-book.pdf.

Public Schools of North Carolina. 2019. Kindergarten Center Posters and Planning Guides. Raleigh: Public Schools of North Carolina. https://bit.ly/2DfitTz.

Public Schools of North Carolina. N.d. "Pre-K/K Demonstration Program." Raleigh: State Board of Education, Department of Public Instruction. http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/earlylearning/demo/.

Creative Arts

Questions to Promote Children's Thinking

How are these alike or different?

Is there a pattern in this?

What do you think should happen next?

What would happen if . . . ?

Which is . . . (e.g., larger or smaller, louder or softer, brighter or darker)?

How would you move if you were this animal?

What can you tell me about your work?

How did you feel when you heard/saw that?

How is this . . . (e.g., shape, sound, movement, phrase) different from the other one?

Mathematics

Questions to Promote Children's Thinking

Can you see if you can find another way to make those blocks stand up?

What other block shape might work there?

How will the firefighters get into your building?

It looks like you are all out of the long blocks. What else could you use to fill up the same space?

Can you find two blocks that you could put together to be the same size as this one block?

How will people know what building this is?

How will people know which way to drive their cars on the road?

Which animals will live in each part of your zoo?

Tell me about your building.

How did you decide to put all those blocks together?

Questions to Promote Children's Thinking

What do you suppose would happen if . . . ?

What will you do next?

I wonder . . . ?

Why do you think that?

How did you figure that out?

Do you have any ideas about how we might begin?

How does it move?

What changes do you see?

Which have changed the most?

How do you know?

Which one is . . . (e.g., heavier, taller)? How could you find out? Why do you think so?

What can you add to the class definition of . . . (e.g., animals, weather)?

What characteristics do the . . .

(e.g., flower, caterpillar) have that make it a . . . (e.g., plant, insect)?

What do you think will happen?

Why do you think the . . . (e.g., ice melted, clouds disappeared)?

Can you draw a picture of your findings? Can you add some words?

Which holds more: the tall, thin jar or the short, fat one?

These questions to promote children's thinking are from the North Carolina Guide for the Early Years (Public Schools of North Carolina 2009). The creative arts, mathermatics, and science questions can be found above.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Assessment in Kindergarten: Meeting Children Where They Are

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Over the 20 years I have been a kindergarten teacher, assessment has changed dramatically. When I first began teaching, educators' observations and self-made assessments were honored as appropriate ways to document young children's growth and mastery. My colleagues and I used our own assessments and observations to plan instruction based on what our students needed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Just like a chef tastes the soup in order to adjust the seasonings, effective teachers need to actively monitor their students' understanding. It's more than just testing their knowledge. Teachers need to ultimately adapt their teaching to suit students' needs. You want all of your students to be successful, that's why these kindergarten assessment ideas are so important. Teaching remote? Don't worry, we've got ideas for remote learning assessments too!

Move It!

Gauge student learning while also giving your kindergartners an opportunity to move and wiggle.

1. Rocket Ship

After reading an assessment question and giving two to three possible answers, ask students to close their eyes. Repeat the question and ask students to stand as quietly as they can when they hear the answer they think is correct. Ask students to keep their eyes closed and stay standing until you say "Rocket launch!" Then everyone can open their eyes and jump like a rocket. While students are standing still with their eyes closed waiting to launch, it's easy to take a few notes regarding individual student responses. Having students keep their eyes closed helps prevent peer influence.

2. Four Corners

Write possible answers on a whiteboard or use the letters A, B, C, and D to designate spaces in each corner of the room. Next, read out a question and ask students to move to the corner that corresponds to their answer. There are many ways to use this concept across the curriculum. For phonics instruction, the corners of the room could be labeled with phonemes the class is studying and students might have to listen for one of them in a word. For math, the corners could be labeled with different numbers as students practice recognizing numbers 1-100.

Not only does Four Corners get students up and moving, but the speed at which students move toward the correct answer can tell you a lot about how confident they are in their answers. Likewise, students who seem to be tagging along with other students are likely to need additional support in mastering the concept. If it seems like too many students are following others, have each student write down their answer before moving to the corner corresponding to their answer.

Show It!

Gestures or visuals allow you to get a quick read on student understanding. They make the perfect kindergarten assessment strategies for your toolbox.

3. Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

Before continuing on with a lesson, ask students to hold up a thumbs up, thumbs down, or a sideways thumb to indicate how they feel about their level of understanding. It's helpful to hang a sign or anchor chart in the classroom to remind students of what each sign means:

Thumbs up = "I get it!" or "I can do it!"

Thumbs down = "I don't get it!" or "I need help!"

Thumb to the side = "I kind of get it." or "I could use some more practice."

4. Sign Language

Teach your kindergartners how to sign the letters A, B, and C. Read a question aloud and give three possible answers, one for each letter. Ask students to wait to hear all responses. Now have students make the alphabet letter sign corresponding to the answer they chose. Instruct them to keep their letter sign in their lap until you call out "Eyes closed, letters up!" Once you've gauged the student responses, call out "Letters down and eyes on me!"

5. Color Cards

Give each student a set of three cards on a ring: one red, one yellow, and one green. Explain the meaning of each color card (listed below). As you teach a lesson, stop periodically to check in with students by asking them to show the colored card that reflects how they feel about their learning. Remind students that everyone learns at a different pace. As a community of learners, the goal is for everyone in the group to understand the lesson. It's okay to show a red, yellow, or green card. Color cards can also be used during independent work time as a way for students to let their teacher know they need help. As the year progresses, invite students to support each other! Those who have green cards can help classmates displaying yellow and red cards.

Red = "Stop, I need help."

Green = "Keep going, I understand."

Yellow = "I'm a little confused."

Mark It!

These assessment ideas make use of written/drawn responses, making them perfect for quiet times in the classroom.

6. Exit Tickets

Like pop quizzes, but without the "pop", adding exit tickets to your weekly routine is a quick way to track student progress. Many kindergarten exit ticket templates exist online or you can create your own. Exit tickets can also be used prior to a lesson to gauge how much your students already know and then given again afterward to record how their understanding has grown.

Source: K Teacher Tiff

7. Whiteboards

Give each student a small whiteboard and a marker. Ask students to draw or write their answers and then hold up their whiteboard. Scanning the room, it's easy to see if students understand the material and which students need extra support.

Voice It!

Channel your students' love of talking with these oral assessment ideas.

8. Pair and Share

Simple but effective! As students talk, move around the room to listen in on their conversations. Pair and shares can be used in a variety of ways including:

Taking turns to explain the concept that was just covered in the lesson

Asking a partner to share how they feel about their level of understanding and what questions they still have about the topic

Discussing a question posed by the teacher

9. Musical Match Up

Play a short sample of music while students move about the room. When the music stops, have students talk to the person nearest to them about what they learned in the lesson. Repeat this twice to create new pairings. As students talk, move throughout the room to listen in on conversations and ask your own questions.

Kindergarten Assessment Ideas for Online Learning

Take advantage of these great online tools and simple video call assessment ideas to gauge student learning while teaching remotely.

10. Black Out

Technology can be complicated, but this assessment idea for video calls is not! Students simply cover the camera on their computer with their finger to indicate their response to a multiple-choice question. In a grid view, it's very easy to see what percentage of the class understands the concept being covered and which students could use more support.

11. Kahoot

Assessments that feel like games are a stress-free way to learn more about what your students know. Using Kahoot as an assessment tool can be as simple as setting up a quick game of 10 questions for students to complete independently. As a class, Kahoot can be used to create a game show styled event. Students can respond via the chat window of their video conference platform or by writing their answer on paper and then holding it in front of the camera.

12. SeeSaw

Online learning platforms offer many easy ways to gather data on student learning through fun activities. Seesaw is a platform that works well with kindergartners and includes a library of thousands of activities for all subjects and levels.

Source: @keepinupwiththekinders

For even more great resources for teaching kindergarten online, check out: Your Guide to Teaching Kindergarten Online
What are your favorite kindergarten assessment ideas? Please share in the comments! Plus, the best kindergarten anchor charts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 Amazing Kindergarten Assessment Ideas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Just like a chef tastes the soup in order to adjust the seasonings, effective teachers need to actively monitor their students' understanding. It's more than just testing their knowledge. Teachers need to ultimately adapt their teaching to suit students' needs. You want all of your students to be successful, that's why these kindergarten assessment ideas are so important.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn what you are measuring with each literacy skill assessment, the age or grade when a skill should be mastered, and when during the school year you should administer the assessments. You’ll also find sample assessment questions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Find Key Details in Any Story | Reading Skills | English with Lido

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You are receiving a color key details poster and a pack of 8 (interactive lift the flap) templates to be used for teaching key details. Story templates include these old favorites:

Mrs. Wishy Washy

Kitten's First Full Moon

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Jack and the Beanstalk

Little Red Hen

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

David Goes to School

...plus a blank template too!

Need other templates for story mapping?
Story Mapping Templates for Stories with a Clear Problem & Solution
Thanks for stopping by...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Key Details Poster & Templates {Old Favorites} in Kindergarten and First Grade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You are receiving a color key details poster and a pack of 8 (interactive lift the flap) templates to be used for teaching key details. Story templates include these old favorites:Mrs. Wishy WashyKitten's First Full MoonGoldilocks and the Three BearsJack and the BeanstalkLittle Red HenThe Three Bil...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I begin teaching my kindergarteners how to identify the main topic and key details in informational text during the first month of school! I have found that graphic organizers and visuals help students understand these concepts and keep the lessons engaging. In order to use this freebie, you will need the book, Colors All Around Us: Blue. This freebie includes a web map that you can create with your students while identifying the main topic and key details in the book!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Main Topic and Key Details Kindergarten FREEBIE!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I begin teaching my kindergarteners how to identify the main topic and key details in informational text during the first month of school! I have found that graphic organizers and visuals help students understand these concepts and keep the lessons engaging. In order to use this freebie, you will ne...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This Main Idea and Detail Unit (Informational Text) has been created for special education students who require more visual/concrete supports to learn the literacy skills of identifying the Main Idea and Detail.
This unit includes:
- Visual Graphic Organizer
- Larger Size Visuals for Academic Vocabulary
- 6 Passages with comprehension questions and Large vocabulary visuals for each passage
- 3 Versions the 6 Passages:
** Version 1 - Picture symbol text over ALL words
** Version 2 - Picture symbol text over all words EXCEPT Kindergarten Dolch Sight Words
** Version 3 - Picture symbol text over all words EXCEPT First Grade Dolch Sight Words
(This has been very helpful for my students who are learning and starting to recognize sight words at different levels).

Please let me know if you have any questions for would like specific modifications!!

All Picture symbol text is from Boardmaker Studio and Proloquo2Go.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Main Idea RI.1.2 Passages and Quick Comprehension (Autism/SPED/ELL)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This Main Idea and Detail Unit (Informational Text) has been created for special education students who require more visual/concrete supports to learn the literacy skills of identifying the Main Idea and Detail. This unit includes: - Visual Graphic Organizer - Larger Size Visuals for Academic Vocab...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is a one page activity that has sentences with simple sight words. Students are to read the sentence and circle one of three pictures that shows what is happening in the sentence. This requires comprehension of simple sentences with basic structure.

This is an excellent resource for students with special needs to work on in an inclusive setting. The objective is to identify the main idea of a sentence by circling the picture representation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Main Idea of Sentence with Pictures; Comprehension; Special Ed, Differentiated

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is a one page activity that has sentences with simple sight words. Students are to read the sentence and circle one of three pictures that shows what is happening in the sentence. This requires comprehension of simple sentences with basic structure. This is an excellent resource for students wi...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Finding the main idea and supporting details is a reading comprehension skill that students are expected to understand starting in kindergarten. By third grade, students are expected to do this with more complex texts independently. This can be a challenging skill for all students. For some ELLs, they have the added challenge of not yet reading grade level texts independently. Here are 5 ideas to support students learning about main idea and supporting details.

Sorting

One simple way to introduce main idea and details is to have students sort words or pictures into categories. Have students come up with categories for each group and then an overall category for all of the groups. You can scaffold this activity by having the categories already available.

I created a set of main idea puzzles using a similar idea. In the center is the main idea (category) and the surrounding pieces are pictures that show the details.

Use Short Reading Passages

When students are practicing main idea and supporting details, it is helpful to give them repeated practice. Short reading passages allow them to identify the main idea and details in a text multiple times. For students that are reading below grade level you can either read the text out loud to them or use simple text that has this skill. It is good to give ELLs exposure both to text that they can read independently and grade level text.

Use Wordless Picture Books
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase. This does not cost you any extra money.
Wordless picture books are a great opportunity for students to practice speaking and/or writing skills as they are also learning about main idea. Using a wordless book gives student a chance to incorporate creativity into coming up with a main idea. As long as they can find supporting details, it is possible for there to be different ideas of what the main idea is. Students can work with a partner or in a small group to come up with the main idea and details of the story. I recommend first having the students look at the pictures and tell what is happening before having them try to come up with what the main idea is.

Some books to try out are:

I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness - A girl faces bullying in her new school and another child learns how to help.

Pool - This book shows two children that are overwhelmed at a crowded pool. They find a place to escape through their imaginations.

Cut apart sentences

Cutting apart sentences gives students a hands on way to practice identifying main idea and details. Students read each sentence. First, they decide if it is the main idea. Then, they find the sentences that support that main idea. You can scaffold this activity by showing students the main idea and only having them find the details. This activity is one that you can create on your own by cutting apart sentences from a written paragraph to practice main idea and details.

I have a set of main idea task cards that would work well for this activity. Another place to find passages is on ReadWorks.

Use Sticky Notes

For longer texts, or those that you do not want to cut apart, sticky notes are a great way for students to record where the main idea and details are. Depending on students age and writing levels, you can either have them use full size sticky notes or smaller strips. They write down the main idea on one color. They they write the details on a different color. After that, they place the sticky note on the text where they found it. You can do a similar activity with sticky note strips. Students only mark where they find the main idea and/or supporting details. You can limit the amount of details students mark by giving a finite number of sticky notes to each student.

Have you signed up for my weekly newsletter?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Ways to Teach Main Idea and Details to ELLs - A World of Language Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Finding the main idea and supporting details is a reading comprehension skill that students are expected to understand starting in kindergarten. By third grade, students are expected to do this with more complex texts independently. This can be a challenging skill for all students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Main idea and supporting details passages are here! Are you looking for activities to practice main idea and details? This print-and-go resource includes main idea passages with main idea graphic organizers. Just print and teach!

Your students will love learning about different types of animals as they master identifying main idea and key details!
Each main idea passage (landscape orientation) includes:
· Title

· A 6-10 sentence paragraph

· A real photograph (that will still show even if it is printed or copied in grayscale)

· Color coding main and details (choose your own colors!)

· Two multiple choice text-based questions to answer about the text
Each graphic organizer (portrait orientation) includes:
· Title

· Cut-and-paste pictures (clip art, not photographs) for one main idea and four key details from the text

· A sentence starter for students to write the main idea

· A sentence starter for students to write a key detail of their choosing

There is one passage and one graphic organizer for each of the following topics:

· Amphibians

· Anglerfish

· Army ants

· Birds

· Crickets

· Crocodiles

· Dolphins

· Elephants

· Fish

· Flamingoes

· Frogs

· The Giant Panda

· Goldfish

· Honeybees

· Insects

· Mammals

· Otters

· Owls

· Parrots

· Reptiles

· Salamanders

· Sea turtles

· Sharks

· Sloths

· Snakes

Note: Due to the cut-and-paste nature of the graphic organizer, these cannot be run back-to-back.

**More Main Idea Passages**
As always, feel free to ask any questions using the Q/A tab or by emailing me directly at Lauren(at)aTeachableTeacher(dot)com.

Stay teachable,

Lauren
Stay in Touch! Follow me on TpT Join the Teaching Reading & Phonics Facebook Group Join my V.I.T. (Very Important Teacher) Email List
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 2019 A Teachable Teacher, LLC.

All rights reserved by the author.

Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Do not redistribute.

Copying any part of this resource and placing it on the Internet is strictly forbidden. This is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Main Idea and Details Passages & Graphic Organizers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Main idea and supporting details passages are here! Are you looking for activities to practice main idea and details? This print-and-go resource includes main idea passages with main idea graphic organizers. Just print and teach! Your students will love learning about different types of animals as t...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Remediation shouldn't take that long and by using this packet it shouldn't! This packet covers main idea, inference, details, and vocabulary taught in the primary grades. (includes four stories and an answer key)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Qtr. 1 (DIGITAL) FAST Reading Remediation for Main Idea, etc. for Primary Grades

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Remediation shouldn't take that long and by using this packet it shouldn't! This packet covers main idea, inference, details, and vocabulary taught in the primary grades. (includes four stories and an answer key)...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Accommodations for ELL Students: Tips and Strategies-Ep. 17

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5-Step Procedure for How to Intervene or Reteach | Scholastic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guidelines for effective intervention based on assessment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Finding the main idea is one of the most challenging reading strategies to teach. On the surface, it doesn't seem that hard... I mean, we're just asking students to find what the passage is mostly about.

But when faced with the task, kids not only have to comprehend the passage, but they have to figure out which information is the most important, without getting sidetracked in the details.

Main idea is one of those concepts which needs to be revisited over and over. Even though upper grade students have been introduced to the main idea, they still need so much practice, especially as the text complexity is increased.

I've found that for the main idea (as with any difficult concept really) it's always good to use a variety of tools and activities in order to reach as many kids in our classrooms as possible. Here are some strategies which I've found to be effective.

I love using anchor charts in the classroom. Not only are they a great tool to refer to while teaching, but students are able to read them over and over while completing work independently.

Pictures are a great first step to teach main idea. Without all of that sometimes cumbersome text to get through, students can still practice identifying the main idea concept by identifying what the picture is mostly about.

You can gather pictures for your students to display on the SmartBoard or to make quick task cards from National Geographic, Scholastic News, Weekly Reader, or from online sites that have free-to-use pictures, like Pixabay.

The bonus in using pictures is that kids can get repeated main idea practice, in the same time it might take to do one main idea identification with a passage. Of course, this is a baby step, and in the upper grades we wouldn't want to stop there, but it makes for a great introductory or remedial activity.

Titles are often overlooked but are one of the first steps students should take when looking for the main idea. One activity you can do to practice using titles is to place a paragraph or very short passage on the SmartBoard (or overhead), but cover up everything except the title. Have students make predictions about what the paragraph will be about based on this title.

You could give them several options for a main idea based on the title and ask them which one is more likely, and why. For example, if the title was African Elephants, would the main idea most likely be how African and Asian elephants are different and alike, how African elephants cool themselves, or information about African elephants?

You can use the titles to help students think about supporting details and how these are smaller ideas but must match the main idea. For the African Elephant example, you might ask if they think that one of the supporting details might be where the elephants live in South America? Could it be about how an elephant uses its trunk? Would it possibly be about what an antelope eats?
These types of questions help kids see that if the title is telling you the topic of the passage, only certain types of information will be supporting details for that passage.
Once you've done some practice with titles, then it's time to read the passage and to find the main idea and supporting details.

4. Look at the First and Last Sentences

Besides titles, first and last sentences typically contain the main idea, but not always. Students should get in the practice of checking the first and last sentences with the title to see if they match. Many times, the main idea is openly stated in one or both of those sentences.
In the upper grades, since we work on topic and conclusion sentences so much during paragraph writing, it makes sense to my students that most writers introduce a passage by telling the reader what it will be about or will conclude it by reminding them what the passage was mostly about.

Keywords are a great tool to help find the main idea but, of course, it's a skill that must be taught. Keywords may be We've discussed the fact that good writers try not to repeat the same word over and over, or it becomes bolded and they provide clues to the main idea. Students can practice finding bolded keywords by doing a scavenger hunt with baskets of nonfiction books.
Put students in pairs or in groups of threes and have them use sticky notes and to record any bolded keywords that they find. When they finish, they can meet with another group to share their findings or you could choose several to share out for the class. Make sure the kids give the book's title, as well as the bolded words so that they can combine this information to create a main idea statement.
Keywords may also be repeated in the same passage. The keywords may sometimes be exactly the same words over and over. For example, how many different words mean photosynthesis? Or the words more commonly will be repeated as synonyms. Here again, our work as writers can be incorporated into reading.

boring, tedious, dull, monotonous, and uninteresting (wink, wink...get the idea?). To find repeated keywords, kids need to be on the lookout for the same concepts over and over within the passage, even when the author uses synonyms to express these. Headings and subheadings, which are types of titles, also help readers find the main idea. By combining the information from all three types of keywords, kids are more likely to be able to correctly identify the main idea.

6. Compare the Supporting Details to the Main Idea

Kids can often get sidetracked by a supporting detail and think that they've found the main idea when the fact was only one of the examples. I like to talk about the supporting details and the main idea as big and little ideas.
A main idea is like the label on a moving box. Maybe the label on the box says Kitchen Items (main idea/topic) but inside you can find measuring cups, silverware, pots and pans, and so on. These would be the details. They all can fall under the label of kitchen items but could they all be called silverware (a supporting detail)?
One thing you can do to work on this idea is to look at paragraphs together. You can find great passages from classroom magazines like Scholastic or Weekly Reader or t hese could be ones that you select from other nonfiction texts.
Project the passage on to the Smart Board or make copies for your students. Ask students questions about the details, if they think one of these could be the main idea. If so, have them notice other supporting details. Would these other details also fall under that as a main idea?
They've got to come to the understanding that the main idea is fairly broad (not too broad though) and is big enough to connect to and to include ALL of the supporting details.

7. Use Examples and Non-Examples

By providing kids with a constant stream of main idea examples, they begin to understand what a main idea might look like. One activity I like to do is to look at a paragraph together and then show them the main idea and three supporting details listed in mixed-up order. This allows them to see the "size" of the sentences or what their scope is.
Again, I always am asking, is this just a small detail or something that the whole paragraph/story is about? This is also a great way to scaffold their learning. It is much easier to determine the main idea when it is included in a set of four choices, rather than when students are asked to pull it out of their heads.

8. Prioritize Information

Here's where things get serious! Determining importance is huge when it comes to understanding the main idea. When students are able to practice this with you and with their classmates in small groups, this provides the reinforcement they need to master this skill.
One great way to work on this is to read a paragraph and then to examine a set of four possible main ideas that you have created and posted on the Smart Board. To do this, I like to have my students write their answers on whiteboards (12 x 12 inch shower board cut down at Home Depot or Lowe's).
After we have read the paragraph together, they look at the four main idea choices and write either A, B, C, or D. The items selected as possible main ideas should be A. Too Broad (too big of an idea) or B. Too Narrow (this would be an interesting fact or detail) or C. Too Many Ideas (combining lots of supporting details), or D. Main Idea. This type of practice is training your kids to critically think about possible main ideas.

9. Add the Missing Title

For this activity, project a short paragraph without a title, on the SmartBoard. Remind students of the strategies we've been using, like first and last sentences, keywords, big ideas vs. small details, and so on. Using those clues, students create a title for the passage and when we do this as a whole class, I have them write these on their whiteboards.
When everyone is done, we do a pair-share or I ask several to share with the whole class. Then I reveal the actual title. If their title was close and had the same idea, it was a success!

Just like all concepts we teach, the more we spiral student learning to reinforce it, the more likely it will be that students are able to truly master the concept. By revisiting it often, even asking a quick "What's the main idea?" as kids read a nonfiction passage, the concept becomes much easier for most students.

If you're looking for some easy to use, low or no-prep resources for main idea, these may be helpful to you.

I would love to hear some strategies that you've found to be helpful for teaching the main idea. Also, if you like the ideas here, please share them with a teacher friend!

For more ideas and strategies focused on upper elementary, be sure to sign up for The Teacher Next Door's free email newsletter ! Bonus, you'll also gain access to my FREE Resource Library which contains exclusive upper elementary freebies that you won't find anywhere else!

I'd love to connect with you!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
9 Strategies You Should be Using to Teach Main Idea

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Finding the main idea is one of the most challenging reading strategies to teach. On the surface, it doesn't seem that hard... I mean, we're just asking students to find what the passage is mostly about.