When a student has difficulty distinguishing a main idea from supportive points, an appropriate activity is to?

The most effective choice for helping a student who struggles to distinguish the main idea from supporting details is to skim an entire reading section rapidly. Skimming encourages the reader to look for keywords and phrases that signal the main ideas, which can help the student develop their ability to identify these central concepts against a backdrop of supporting information. This technique trains the student to differentiate between what is primary and secondary in text, enhancing their comprehension skills.

While reading slowly can promote comprehension through detailed understanding, it may not be as effective in this case since it can lead the student to get bogged down in specifics rather than identifying overarching themes. Taking detailed notes is beneficial for retention and engagement, yet without first identifying the main ideas through skimming, the notes may end up being unfocused. Discussing the paragraph with peers can be helpful for collaborative learning, but it relies on the student already having some grasp of the material. Skimming, therefore, provides a direct pathway to strengthening the student's ability to pinpoint main ideas efficiently.