High School Fiction Theme, Main Idea, and Summary IEP Goals

The Common Core combines the standards for 9th and 10th grade so this standard works for both! Note that you can also use this standard for writing a summary– which we do below!

• Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2

When you ask a student to find the central idea or theme of a story, you are asking them to figure out what the author wants you to take away from the story.

If your district is paying for a computer-based reading program like IXL, Reading Rockets, Reading Works, Lexia, Read 180, AimsWeb…. or any of the others, it is likely that you have some data on whether your student can identify themes in fiction story. 

If you can’t find enough information on theme in the digital tool you are already using, hit the internet. There are a lot of free, quick theme assessment tools for 6th grade. Here are a few:

• Great Books has a nice list of creative ways to assess students’ understanding of themes– ways you could easily integrate into a reading lesson to get a baseline while teaching.
• The Performance Assessment Resource Bank makes you sign up but they have really in depth theme assessments for mixed grades– for free.
• Achieve the Core has a lot of long, free assessments– you will need to pick and choose. 
• Education.com has a wide variety of worksheet assessments– you get a few free before you have to upgrade.

Looking for easy-to-use assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

After reading a brief, sixth-grade level  passage, Lin can answer factual questions about the passage with 80% accuracy. Without teacher support, however, he answers questions about themes and central messages with short, simple messages like, “Be good,” and cannot identify information in the story to support his theme.

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

• After reading a story at his/her level, X will determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details, by identifying at least one detail from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end of the story that support the theme and stating how each supports the theme, on three of four opportunities as measured by teacher records and observations  CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

• Add supports for the student
  • After listening to a familiar story,
  • After listening to an unfamiliar story,
  • After listening to a grade-level story or passage,
  • After reading a pre-taught story,
• Give even more supports
  • and given a graphic organizer,
  • and given multiple choices,
  • and given a copy of the text to look at,
  • and given prompting questions,
• Change the accuracy or number of trials
  • with 80% accuracy 
  • with 75% accuracy 
  • on two of three opportunities
  • on three of four opportunities
• Change what the student is asked to do
  • determine a detailed theme or central idea of a text, such as, “Friendship is more important than winning,”
  • Given three options, X will select a theme or central idea of a previously read text 
  • choosing at least one detail from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end of the story
  • identifying two details from the story that show the development of the theme
  • Note you can also focus on just one detail too– just chop off part of the standard if it is too much of a stretch for your student.

The Common Core combines the standards for 9th and 10th grades so this one standard works for students in either grade. Note that it is the same standard as for theme– it is just the other part of the standard!

• Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2

The easiest way to assess for this goal is to ask a student to give you either a written or oral summary of a story after reading it. The difficult part is knowing what to look or listen for to determine if it is a good, grade-level summary. Note that the difficulty of the text also matters– a longer text is harder to summarize than a short one, so be consistent and clear in what you are using!

Need ideas for how to assess the summary?  Here are a few free rubrics from around the internet for you to use.

• ResearchGate has a summary rubric for adolescent writers that might work.
• Houston School District has one for 3rd to 5th grade that could stretch upwards
• iRubric has a nice, generic one too
• A researcher has also posted a rubric for somebody wanted but so summary
• Finally, Treynor schools has a chapter summary rubric that could work with a novel.

Looking for easy-to-use assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

After reading a seventh grade level short story, Luis can dictate a summary that includes three or more events from the story and two or more characters. He requires adult support to add in conflicts, character motivations, and key themes from the story. 

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

• After listening to a ninth-grade story, X will provide an objective summary of the text that includes at least three events from the story in order, the central conflict or challenges in the story, and how it got resolved on three of four trials as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

• Add supports for the student
  • After listening to a familiar story,
  • After listening to an unfamiliar story,
  • After listening to a grade-level story or passage,
  • After reading a pre-taught story,
• Give even more supports
  • and given a graphic organizer,
  • and given multiple choices,
  • and given a copy of the text to look at,
  • and given prompting questions,
• Change the accuracy or number of trials
  • with 80% accuracy 
  • with 75% accuracy 
  • on two of three opportunities
  • on three of four opportunities
• Change what the student is asked to do
  • that includes at least three events from the story in order
  • that includes the central conflict or challenge in the story, and how it got resolved as well as information about the main characters
  • that includes an important theme from the story or author’s message

The Common Core combines the standards for 11th and 12th grade so this standard works for both! Note that you can also use this standard for writing a summary– which we do below!

• Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2

When you ask a student to find the central idea or theme of a story, you are asking them to figure out what the author wants you to take away from the story.

If your district is paying for a computer-based reading program like IXL, Reading Rockets, Reading Works, Lexia, Read 180, AimsWeb…. or any of the others, it is likely that you have some data on whether your student can identify themes in fiction story. 

If you can’t find enough information on theme in the digital tool you are already using, hit the internet. There are a lot of free, quick theme assessment tools for 6th grade. Here are a few:

• Great Books has a nice list of creative ways to assess students’ understanding of themes– ways you could easily integrate into a reading lesson to get a baseline while teaching.
• The Performance Assessment Resource Bank makes you sign up but they have really in depth theme assessments for mixed grades– for free.
• Achieve the Core has a lot of long, free assessments– you will need to pick and choose. 
• Education.com has a wide variety of worksheet assessments– you get a few free before you have to upgrade.

Looking for easy-to-use assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

In classroom activities, Sierra can choose a theme for a story and, with support, identify key details that support it. When asked to do so independently, Sierra will often select a theme that is only loosely related to the story. She is able to choose details to support her chosen theme, but cannot identify the details on her own.

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

• After reading a story at his/her level, X will determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, by identifying at least one detail from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end of the story that support the theme and stating how each supports the theme, on three of four opportunities as measured by teacher records and observations  CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

• Add supports for the student
  • After listening to a familiar story,
  • After listening to an unfamiliar story,
  • After listening to a grade-level story or passage,
  • After reading a pre-taught story,
• Give even more supports
  • and given a graphic organizer,
  • and given multiple choices,
  • and given a copy of the text to look at,
  • and given prompting questions,
• Change the accuracy or number of trials
  • with 80% accuracy 
  • with 75% accuracy 
  • on two of three opportunities
  • on three of four opportunities
• Change what the student is asked to do
  • determine a detailed theme or central idea of a text, such as, “Friendship is more important than winning,”
  • Given three options, X will select a theme or central idea of a previously read text 
  • choosing at least one detail from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end of the story
  • identifying two details from the story that show the development of the theme
  • Note you can also focus on just one detail too– just chop off part of the standard if it is too much of a stretch for your student.

The Common Core combines the standards for 11th and 12th grades so this one standard works for students in either grade. Note that it is the same standard as for theme– it is just the other part of the standard! Also note that this is the same goal as for 9th and 10th grades. The standard doesn’t change between the grades BUT if you need to reuse the standards, make sure the new goal involves a more challenging text and raises the bar for the student!

• Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2

The easiest way to assess for this goal is to ask a student to give you either a written or oral summary of a story after reading it. The difficult part is knowing what to look or listen for to determine if it is a good, grade-level summary. Note that the difficulty of the text also matters– a longer text is harder to summarize than a short one, so be consistent and clear in what you are using!

Need ideas for how to assess the summary?  Here are a few free rubrics from around the internet for you to use.

• ResearchGate has a summary rubric for adolescent writers that might work.
• Houston School District has one for 3rd to 5th grade that could stretch upwards
• iRubric has a nice, generic one too
• A researcher has also posted a rubric for somebody wanted but so summary
• Finally, Treynor schools has a chapter summary rubric that could work with a novel.

Looking for easy-to-use assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

After reading a seventh grade level short story, Luis can dictate a summary that includes three or more events from the story and two or more characters. He requires adult support to add in conflicts, character motivations, and key themes from the story. 

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

• After listening to a ninth-grade story, X will provide an objective summary of the text that includes at least three events from the story in order, the central conflict or challenges in the story, and how it got resolved on three of four trials as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

• Add supports for the student
  • After listening to a familiar story,
  • After listening to an unfamiliar story,
  • After listening to a grade-level story or passage,
  • After reading a pre-taught story,
• Give even more supports
  • and given a graphic organizer,
  • and given multiple choices,
  • and given a copy of the text to look at,
  • and given prompting questions,
• Change the accuracy or number of trials
  • with 80% accuracy 
  • with 75% accuracy 
  • on two of three opportunities
  • on three of four opportunities
• Change what the student is asked to do
  • that includes at least three events from the story in order
  • that includes the central conflict or challenge in the story, and how it got resolved as well as information about the main characters
  • that includes an important theme from the story or author’s message