READ 3226 Small Group Lesson

*Grade- 4th Grade

*Date- 3/17/15
* Number of students in group: 1 student
* Skills/ Focus: Main idea and key details in a text
*Goal of activity: The goal of my activity is to develop students understanding of
main idea in a text. Given a passage, a student will build knowledge of what main
idea is and be able to apply this knowledge in context by identifying the main idea.
Students should be able to see that main idea is what a passage is mostly about,
the main topic. Students should then be able to know key details are details and
facts that support the main idea, and in other words give information about the
main idea/ topic.
* Related Common Core Standard RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and
explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
*Summary and overview of activity
In this activity two 1st/2nd grade passages will be used, as well as a third passage
that is on a 3rd grade level. The first passage is Saturday at the Carnival. This
short passage is a paragraph long. At the end of the passage, there is a multiple
choice question asking about the main idea. Then below this question, there are
three empty boxes to be filled in that ask for 3 key details from the story. For the
first passage, the teacher will read aloud the passage, and then the teacher will
read the multiple choice question. The teacher will discuss with the students what
main idea is and model for the student by thinking aloud and referring to the text to

determine the main idea. The teacher will also model the answering of the question.
After this, the teacher will model for the student how to determine key details of
the passage that support the main idea.

The second passage is Sports the Barn Cat. This passage is also a paragraph
long. The student will read aloud the passage. This passage too has a multiple
choice question asking for the main idea. The teacher will guide the student through
the question. The teacher will ask the student their thinking, and assist through the
thinking process where necessary. The student will draw three boxes below the
question to list 3 supporting details that support the main idea. The teacher will
assist and guide the student on this part.

Finally, the third passage is an excerpt from Anne of Green Gables which is a
paragraph long. Below the passage is a web diagram with a large circle to fill in with
the main idea of the passage. Below the large circle are three smaller circles where
key details are to be listed. For this part, the student will independently read the
article, fill in the main idea, and then fill in the 3 supporting details. After the
student has finished, the teacher will go over with the student what they did and
discuss some more about the main idea and key details in the third passage.
*Reflection: After implementing this 1 on 1 activity, I was very happy with how it
went. It was pretty straightforward. My student had been having a hard time
identifying what main ideas are in a given passage, and then she had a hard time
understanding and determining key details in the passage, so thats why I wanted to
work with her to develop these skills a little bit more and develop a conceptual

understanding of main idea and key details in a text. My student is on grade level as
far as her reading level goes, but again she needed some work in the area of main
idea and supporting details. After talking with my student and evaluating her work
during this activity, I could see she now had a little bit more of an understanding
and application of this skill in reading.