HESI A2 Reading Comprehension Study Guide 2021

I A2 Reading Comprehension Study Guide 1 | Page © All Rights Reserved. www.ReadyForTHeHESI.org HESI A2 Reading Comprehension Study Guide 2 | Page © All Rights Reserved. www.ReadyForTHeHESI.org HESI A2 Full Reading Comprehension Guide Main Idea What is the “Main Idea”? The main idea is what the text is about and what the author wants you, the reader, to know. If someone were to ask you, “What was that book or article about?” they are asking you about the main idea. When you can tell them exactly what it is about, you have grasped the main idea. What is the purpose of the main idea? The purpose of the main idea is two-fold. First, it lets the reader know what the text is about so that the reader can decide whether or not to continue reading. Secondly, its purpose is to engage the reader quickly. It serves to capture and take hold of the reader within the first minute or two of picking up the text. How can you identify the main idea? The main idea is usually (but not always) apparent within the first two to three sentences. Often, the main idea is the same as the topic sentence. At other times, the title may state the main idea. After the first two or three paragraphs of a text, a reader should be able to identify the main idea and what the text is seeking to do. Some questions you can ask yourself after these first paragraphs include: ● Does this book/article/text tell me who, what, when, where, or how about something? ● Does this piece’s title tell me what I am reading? ● What is the point of this text? Main idea and supporting details The text you are reading will have additional details that help support or lend credence to the main idea. As you are reading, it is important to stop periodically to decide reflect how the supporting details help illustrate the main idea and to determine how they relate to each other.