English Language Arts and Reading.8.5.G

The student is expected to

evaluate details read to determine key ideas;

comprehension TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

Provide students with a graphic organizer to use when identifying the key idea and details that support the key idea. After reading a text independently, ask students to determine the key idea and identify and evaluate details in the text.

The graphic organizer might include the following:

Key Idea:

Detail

Detail

Detail

Detail


Further Explanation 

This SE requires students to demonstrate their understanding of details that support and help determine the key idea. Students use the details to support understanding of what is happening, who is affected, and why the idea matters or is being discussed in the first place.

to judge, determine, or form an opinion about the significance, quality, or value of something in relation to its intended purpose
Students should understand that some facts not only support but also help complete the picture of the key ideas. These specifics tell a reader what is happening, who is affected, and why the idea matters or is being discussed in the first place. Other details cover fewer specifics and provide general information that adds to the background knowledge. Students must consider the intended purpose of a detail in order to evaluate whether the detail is effective.
Key ideas are ideas that must be understood to fully comprehend the meaning of the larger text. While reading, students should look for the relationships between the details in the text and how they are organized so they can determine which key idea(s) the details focus on and support. If students are unable to determine the key ideas in a text, they cannot identify the overarching message of a text. Students should consider the intended purpose of a detail in order to evaluate whether the detail is effective.

Research

Hedin, L. R., & Conderman, G. (2010). Teaching students to comprehend information text through rereading. The Reading Teacher, 63(7), 556–565. doi:10.1598/RT.63.7.3

Summary: Hedin and Conderman describe specific strategies that students can use to make meaning of the text and increase reading and writing comprehension. The study reveals strategies are successful with struggling readers. The approach uses paraphrasing and rereading to identify the placement of the main ideas, key terms, and definitions. The approach also includes pronouns, appositives, or text enhancements. Charts, samples, and references are included.