CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.2

ELA6th GradeKey Ideas and Details

The Standard

Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Informational Text

What This Standard Means

Students need to find the main idea of an informational text, then point to the details that build and support it. They also need to write a summary that sticks to the text, not their feelings, ratings, or outside opinions.

Mastery looks like a student naming a clear central idea, choosing the strongest supporting details, and writing a short, neutral summary in their own words. Students often get stuck by choosing a topic instead of a central idea, copying sentences, including tiny details, or adding opinions like “This was interesting.”

Ways to Teach It

Give pairs a short article, sticky notes, and three labels: topic, central idea, and supporting details.
Ask students to answer: Which three details best show the author’s main point, and why?
Use an exit ticket with one paragraph: write the central idea and one neutral summary sentence.
Have students read a school announcement and summarize it for a student who was absent, with no opinions added.