Main Idea & Theme

Figuring out what a story is really about, beyond what happens, and the big idea or lesson it leaves behind.

The main idea is what a chapter or section is mostly about, summed up in a sentence or two. It helps kids keep track of the story without retelling every detail.

A theme is the big idea or life lesson underneath the whole story, like friendship, courage or forgiveness. Authors rarely state it outright, so kids have to look at what the characters learn and what keeps coming up.

How to teach it at home

Three techniques you can use during any reading session.

  1. Sum it up in one sentence. After a chapter, ask your child what it was mostly about in a single sentence. It’s harder than retelling everything, and that’s the point.
  2. Look for what keeps coming up. Notice ideas, problems or feelings that repeat throughout the book. Repeated ideas often point to the theme.
  3. Connect it to real life. Ask what the characters learned and whether that lesson could help your child too. A theme is a lesson that works outside the book.

Questions to ask

These work with almost any book.

  • What was this chapter mostly about?
  • If you had to explain this story in one sentence, what would you say?
  • What problem does the main character face, and how do they handle it?
  • What lesson did ___ learn?
  • What do you think the author wants readers to think about?
  • Does this story remind you of anything in your own life?

If your child gets stuck

  • Separate what happened from what it means. Ask “What happened?” first, then “Why does that matter?”
  • Offer a few theme words, like friendship, courage, honesty or family, and let your child choose one and explain it.
  • Talk about the lesson in a favorite movie first, then try the book.
  • If a summary is getting long, ask “What’s the most important part?”

Books for practicing main idea and theme

Each of these books has questions about what the story is really about and the lessons it teaches.

Holes

by Louis Sachar

Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every…

View book for Holes

Explore other reading skills

See all reading skills →