Main Idea Anchor Chart – 4-Chart Reading Set

Two paired anchor charts teach students to identify and support the main idea of an informational text using a before/during/after reading strategy.
Grades
Grades 1–2
File type
PDF
Preparation
Print ready

Updated Sep 27, 2026

Subject
Reading, ELA
Topic
Main Idea, Reading
Resource types
Anchor Charts
Preparation
Print ready
Ontario expectations
C2.6 — Ontario grade 1 language c2.6

From the author

About this resource

This resource is a set of 4 anchor charts for main idea. Two charts are completed references, and two are partially blank versions. These charts work well inserted into students' interactive reading notebooks.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

  • State the main idea of an informational text.

  • Support a stated main idea with text evidence.

  • Apply before/during/after reading strategies to locate a text's main idea.

Teaching tips

  • Display the completed poster as a permanent anchor chart, and hand out the blank version for students to complete in their reading notebooks.

  • Model the before/during/after strategy using a shared class text before students apply it independently.

  • Revisit the sentence frame during independent reading conferences to build the habit of citing evidence.

Skills covered

  • Main idea identification — students state the central idea of an informational text using a sentence-frame organizer.

  • Text evidence citation — students complete 'I know this because...' to support their stated main idea with details.

  • Before/during/after reading strategy application — students preview text features, track repeated key words, and self-question to determine the main idea.

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Ontario curriculum

Ontario curriculum expectations

Ontario expectations

  • C2.6 — Ontario Grade 1 Language C2.6: identify important information in a simple text, including the main idea.

Core concepts

  • Main idea

  • Text evidence

  • Reading comprehension

  • Informational text

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