The Key Comprehension Routine: A Suggested Plan for Introducing Skills and Strategies (grades 4-12)
Note: This scope and sequence and suggested time line was designed to be flexible based on the grade and needs of the students you
work with. We encourage you to make adjustments as needed.
Teaching Main Idea Skills
Scope & Sequence
Provide
EXPLICIT
INSTRUCTION
1. Categorize real-life items
and topics.
2. Categorize content-related
words.
3. Identify and write
paragraph main ideas that are
stated.
4 Identify and write
paragraph main ideas that are
implied.
Related Terminology
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Topic/Subtopic
Main Idea
Topic Sentence
Details
Stated
Implied
Relevant
Irrelevant
Hierarchy
Process for Finding a
Main Idea
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•
Identify and review
the details.
Determine what they
have in common.
• Formulate a main
idea.
Techniques for Finding a
Main Idea
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Goldilocks
Labeling the Bucket
Self-Cuing
5. Identify and write the main
idea of a multi-paragraph
passage.
6. Identify and write the main
idea of a chapter or other
longer text.
© Keys to Literacy
7. Practice identifying main
idea in a variety of texts and
subject areas.
www.keystoliteracy.com
Suggested Plan
for Introducing
and Teaching
(flexible based
on grade-level)
Weeks 1 & 2
Weeks 3 & 4
Weeks 5 & 6
Weeks 7 & 8
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
Introduce the concept of main idea and the process for finding a main idea.
Introduce the 3 techniques.
Introduce related terminology: topic, main idea, details
Practice applying the process and 3 techniques to categorizing words.
Continue to practice categorizing.
Introduce related terminology: topic sentence, stated, implied, relevant, irrelevant.
Introduce and practice identifying stated and implied paragraph main ideas (using the process and 3
techniques)
Continue to practice categorizing of words.
Continue to practice main idea skills at the paragraph level.
Introduce identifying and stating the main idea of a multi-paragraph passage.
Introduce terminology: hierarchy
Continue to practice categorizing and main idea skills at the paragraph and multi-paragraph levels.
Introduce identifying hierarchies of main ideas in paragraphs, sections, chapters, and longer text.
Include how headings can be used.
Practice applying main idea skills to different types of text (narrative, informational, argument) and
different subject areas.
Teaching the Four Strategy Activities
Text Structure
Scope &
Sequence:
Directly,
Explicitly Teach
Students…
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© Keys to Literacy
The
structure of
a paragraph
How to use
headings and
other text
features that
reveal text
structure
The
difference
between
informational
Top-Down Topic Web
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How to organize
ideas in a
hierarchical way
Format: how shape,
size, position, color
indicate hierarchy
and connections
How to use a
teacher-generated
topic web as a
before, during and
after
reading/learning
Two-Column
Notes
• Two-column
format
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How to apply
main idea skills
to determine
what to write in
the left column
How to
determine
relevant details
to include in the
right column
Summarizing
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What is a
summary, how is
it different from
a retell?
How to apply
main idea skills
to identify the
main ideas that
will be
developed into a
summary
The steps for
writing a
Question
Generation
• Different levels
of questions
require
different levels
of thinking to
answer them
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Bloom’s
Taxonomy as a
continuum of
thinking levels
Common
question
terminology
www.keystoliteracy.com
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and narrative
text structure
About
introductions
and
conclusions
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tool
•
About sub-webs
How to use a topic
web as a study
guide
How to generate
their own topic
webs
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How to read
actively to
support note
taking
How to
abbreviate,
paraphrase,
write concisely
How to make
connections
between the
notes and a
related topic
web
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Use Scaffolds
© Keys to Literacy
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Start with
highly
structured
text
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Begin with
everyday
experiences
Partially completed
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Begin with
everyday
experiences
Partially
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summary
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How to use
transition words
How to use the
summary
template as a
scaffold for
writing a
summary
How to write
summaries from
observation or
classroom
discussion
How to write
summaries from
various types
and lengths of
text
How to use a
related topic
web or twocolumn notes as
a scaffold for
writing a
summary
Partially
completed
summary
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How to identify
the level of
difficulty of
teachergenerated
questions
How to generate
different levels
of questions
based on
classroom
discussion and
everyday
experiences.
How to generate
different levels
of questions
based on text
they are reading
How to generate
questions about
topics and
details in
related topic
webs and twocolumn notes
List of question
prompts
Bloom’s
Summary
Taxonomy
www.keystoliteracy.com
•
Provide topdown topic
webs that
•
represent the
text structure
of text
samples
•
Use Gradual
Release of
Responsibility
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Suggested Plan
for Introducing
and Teaching
(flexible based
on grade-level)
1st Month
2nd Month
topic webs
Word bank of topics
to arrange into a
•
topic web
Visuals in place of
words
completed twocolumn notes
Visuals in place
of words
•
writing template
Color coded
example – notes
to summary
visuals, posters
I DO IT: The teacher presents a strategy to students and models its use, including use
of a think aloud.
WE DO IT: Students practice the strategy as a whole group or in small groups. The
teacher guides this practice and provides feedback.
YOU DO IT: Students apply the strategy independently.
1. Teach main idea skills (as noted above)
2. The structure of paragraphs
3. The difference between informational and narrative text structure
1. Continue to teach main idea skills (as noted above)
2. Introduce top-down topic webs
a. Organizing in a hierarchy
b. Format
c. Using a teacher-generated web as a before tool
3. How to use headings and other text features that reveal text structure
4. About introductions and conclusions
© Keys to Literacy
5. Introduce two-column notes
a. Format
b. Take notes from 1 to 4-paragraphs of text – read actively to identify main ideas and
relevant supporting details
c. Students complete scaffolded (partially completed) notes
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© Keys to Literacy
3rd Month
1. Continue to practice main idea skills
2. Continue to use and teach top-down topic webs
a. Sub-webs
b. Using a teacher-generated web as a study tool
3. Continue to use and teach two-column notes
a. Teach abbreviating, paraphrasing, writing concisely
b. Carry over topics/main ideas from a topic web into left column of notes
c. Gradually release note taking scaffolds (partially completed notes)
4. Introduce summarizing
a. What is a summary?
b. Applying main idea skills to determine the main ideas of the summary
c. Steps to writing a summary
d. Introduce summary template as a scaffold
e. Introduce transition words
f. Write brief summaries about every day topics
g. Write summaries about content information
4th Month
1. Continue to practice main idea skills
2. Continue to use and teach top-down topic webs
a. Student-generated topic webs
3. Continue to use and teach two-column notes
a. Introduce taking and integrating notes from more than one source
b. Introduce taking notes from listening, starting with scaffolded notes (introduce in
grade 6)
4. Continue to use and teach summarizing
a. How to use a topic web or two-column notes as a scaffold for summarizing
b. Write brief and longer summaries
c. Write summaries from a variety of text types and subject areas
5. Introduce question generation
a. Introduce Bloom’s Taxonomy as a continuum of thinking
b. Teach students the meaning of basic question terms used in generating a question
c. Ask students to identify the level of teacher-generated questions beginning with
everyday experience and then with text
d.
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5th Month
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Continue to practice main idea skills
Continue to use teacher- and student-generated top-down topic webs
Continue to have students take notes from written and oral sources
Continue to have students write summaries from a variety of sources
Continue to use and teach question generation
a. Provide question prompts
b. Ask students to generate questions at different levels of thinking about every day
information
c. Ask students to generate questions at different levels of thinking based on text
d. Ask students to generate question at different levels of thinking based on a topic web
and two-column notes
Lesson Planning Guide
Content Unit/Topic:
Related Reading Material:
Which Key Comprehension skills will you include in your content instruction:
Skill
What will be the focus for that skill?
Describe the Lesson
MAIN IDEA
SKILLS
TEXT
STRUCTURE
TOP-DOWN
© Keys to Literacy
www.keystoliteracy.com
TOPIC WEBS
TWO-COLUMN
NOTES
SUMMARIZING
QUESTION
GENERATION
What will you do at the stages of gradual release?
I stage:
We stage:
You stage:
How will you differentiate your instruction in any way to support struggling (including ELL) readers/writers?
What scaffolds will you use for some or all of the students?
© Keys to Literacy
www.keystoliteracy.com