Skills

Main Idea and Supporting Details	Summarization	Fact vs. Opinion
Author's Purpose	Author's Organization	Cause & Effect
Story Elements	Make Inferences	Draw Conclusions

The main idea is the most important idea of a paragraph, passage, or selection. It tells what the selection is mostly about.

The supporting details are pieces of information that explain and support the main idea. They answer questions such as who, what, when, and where.

Sometimes the main idea is not stated. The reader must use details as clues to figure it out.