Elementary school students are constantly working to build the foundation that they will rely upon for their entire education — making their writing lessons critically important.
While young learners are often able to easily identify the topic sentence of a paragraph or write down the main idea of the text, they may find it more challenging to understand the supporting details.
Which is why…
In these supporting details examples, elementary students in grades 1st through 5th grade, will better understand what a supporting detail is and why these details are important to understanding the main topic.
Use these supporting details examples elementary for your classroom, and let your students discover just how fun writing can be!
Fun Supporting Details Examples Elementary Students Will Love
- Use worksheets that show pictures of the main idea. Ask your students to write down three supporting details of their own about each picture.
- Have your students enjoy a video lesson about a beloved book that they are all familiar with. After the video is over, engage your students in discussion and have them talk about which supporting details they noticed.
- Share a post with your students from their favorite YouTuber. Have them identify not only the main idea of the blog post, but also the supporting details.
- Show your students a picture of a hamburger and explain that the meat patty is the main idea of the hamburger. Ask them to tell you what the supporting details are. This can highlight the fact that supporting details are not always the same, but they all add context to the main idea.
- Read a short story aloud and ask your students to write a summary of the story. After their writing is complete, have them highlight the main idea of their summary in yellow and highlight the supporting details in green.
- Explain that supporting details can be found in narratives as well. Have your students listen to several narratives on their tablets and ask them to write down the main idea as well as the supporting details of each narrative.
- While supporting details are frequently talked about in writing, they can be found in math lessons as well. Incorporate a writing mini-lesson into your next math unit by showing your students that there are main ideas and supporting details in their story problems. Have them circle the main idea of the story problem, but draw a square around the supporting details. This form of interdisciplinary learning can help them make valuable connections across subject areas.
- Have your students read a short text and identify the main topic. Then, as they begin to evaluate the supporting details, ask them which main detail sticks out to them the most. Have them explain why the main detail is so valuable to the writing.
- While most 3rd-grade students understand that the main idea can often be found in the first sentence of a paragraph, they may not realize that there can be a main idea and supporting details within a single sentence. At this age, you can begin teaching students to diagram sentences in order to better understand their structure and value.
- After sharing a more complex paragraph with your students, have them share the major detail that they felt best supported the main idea.
- Use practice tests before an exam to give elementary students an opportunity to showcase their ability to uncover supporting details. After reviewing the quiz or practice test, you can provide students with a personalized review.
- During your social studies lesson, ask your students to identify the main idea of a passage within their text. Then, ask them to prove why it’s the main idea. This will allow them to go on a treasure hunt for supporting details.
Engaging Ways to Incorporate Supporting Details in Writing
1. Show, Don’t Tell: Instead of simply stating a fact, use vivid descriptions to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. For example, instead of saying “The dog was big, you could say “The dog was so large it could barely fit through the doggy door.”
2. Use Sensory Details: Appeal to the reader’s senses by including details about sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. This can help create a more immersive experience.
3. Compare and Contrast: Draw connections between different ideas or objects. This can help readers understand complex concepts more easily.
4. Provide Examples: Use specific examples to illustrate your main points. This can make your writing more concrete and relatable.
5. Use Anecdotes: Share personal stories or anecdotes that relate to your topic. This can make your writing more engaging and memorable.
6. Use Quotations: Cite the words of experts or famous people to support your arguments. This can add credibility and authority to your writing.
7. Create a Character: Develop a character who can illustrate your main points through their actions and experiences.
By incorporating these techniques into your writing, you can create more engaging and informative pieces that will captivate your readers.
85 More Free Writing Prompts & Resources
- 20 Paragraph Writing Topics
- 35 Marvelous Paragraph Starters
- 30 Examples of Topic Sentences (by grade level)
Teaching main idea and supporting details doesn’t have to be tedious. By relying on a wide range of resources and language arts materials, you can make these critical lessons both fun and engaging.
No matter what, always encourage your students to keep on writing!
Until next time, write on…
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Jill
journalbuddies.com
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PS – Check out all of these supporting details printables!