Professor C. Koonin

Strategic Readingfor Topics in

Academic Text

What is the Topic

of a Reading Selection?

Subject Matter

the author writes about.

Some Examples of Topics

Drug Abuse Civil RightsHomelessness

Race RelationsMusicPeer Pressure

How can Knowledge of the Topic Help the Reader

Comprehend? Help you stay focused See how ideas are connected Distinguish the important details Better position to make predictions about

content

Distinguishing Between Broad and Narrow Topics

Decide on what aspect of the topic the author is discussing.

What about Algebra is being discussed?What about Art History is being discussed?What about Biology is being discussed?What about French is being discussed?

What about Geography is being discussed?What about English is being discussed?

Strategies to Help Identify Topics• Preview material• Use titles & subtitles

to determine scope of topic

• Use prior knowledge to anticipate topics

• Look for repetition• Notice how major

points refer to topic• Make mental map

– show relationship of sentences to topic

What is the Main Idea?

Main Idea will answer the question-------- What specifically about the topic (or

narrow topic) is the author discussing? The Main Idea is an idea, not a single word. The Main Idea is always a complete

sentence.

Example Holiday Shopping (topic)

Main Idea Sentences

People who wait to do their holiday shoppinguntil the last minute can have a difficult time.

For some, shopping during the holidays is depressing.

The kinds of shopping people do during the holidays can be an indication of the state of the economy.

Progressing from Topics to Main Ideas

An author’s thinking has to progress from a broad topic, to a narrowed topic, to the main idea.

If you are able to identify the narrowed topic, you have the starting point for figuring out the author’s main idea.To find the Main Idea: What about the topic (or narrowed topic) is the author discussing?

Purposes for Creating Main Idea Sentences

Reading situations where the Main Idea is not stated .

Reading situations where several passages relate to a singleMain Idea.

Reading situations where your goal is to comprehend a lengthy essay or article.

The Process for Creating Main Idea Sentences

Identify the narrowed topic.

Decide what is the most important thing the author wants to tell you about that narrowed topic. Create a sentence that describes the most important thing the author wants to tell you about that narrowed topic.

Creating Main Idea Sentences (other considerations)

Your Main Idea sentence must contain both your topic and the statement the author is making about the topic.

Your Main Idea sentence must be a complete sentence. It answers the question --- What about the narrow topic is the author discussing?

Topic(narrow topic)Introduction

Main Idea Thesis statement

MajorSupporting

Details

MajorSupporting

Details

MajorSupporting

DetailsMinor

SupportingDetails

MinorSupporting

Details

MinorSupporting

Details

Conclusion