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

This is a great workhorse standard for 6th grade reading comprehension. You can use it for identifying themes, finding the central idea, or summarizing a story. Here we show how to make the standard into an IEP goal for theme and main idea– look below for examples of how to use the same standard for a summary goal.

• Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2

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 17 page free pdf of readings and questions that cover, among other things, theme and could give you a baseline for a 6th grader. 
• Better Lesson has a free 6th grade theme lesson with some good theme assessment ideas.

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 listening to a brief, grade level story, Kaylin can answer questions about the characters and key events in the plot. When she is asked about the author’s message or theme though she often states a single word like “love” and needs significant adult support to explain what she means or find details in the text to support that 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 how it is conveyed by identifying at least two particular details that support the theme on three of four opportunities as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2

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
  • identifying at least three particular details that support the theme
  • identifying at least one particular detail that support the theme
  • 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 and choose at least particular details that support the theme

Like the 6th grade standard, this is a great workhorse standard for 7th grade reading comprehension. You can use it for identifying themes, finding the central idea, or summarizing a story. Here we show how to make the standard into an IEP goal for theme and main idea– look below for examples of how to use the same standard for a summary goal.

• Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2

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 its 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 on three of four opportunities as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2

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

Like the other middle school theme and central idea standards, this is a great workhorse standard for 8th grade reading comprehension. You can use it for identifying themes, finding the central idea, or summarizing a story. Here we show how to make the standard into an IEP goal for theme and main idea– look below for examples of how to use the same standard for a summary goal.

• Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2

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 a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot 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, on three of four opportunities as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2

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 characters, setting, or plot– the goal doesn’t have to include all three!