Theme vs main idea

Theme, central message, moral of the story... cover it with these anchor charts.

Upper elementary tips and resources for teaching main idea vs. theme. Includes anchor charts, sorts, and discussion questions.

Teaching theme vs. main idea can make both your life and students’ lives much easier. Help them understand the difference!

My most popular post is teaching about Main Idea vs. Theme together. It has changed how students think about main idea and theme statements.

Theme vs main idea - idea for anchor chart from Teaching With a Mountaintop View

The main difference between Theme and Main Idea is Theme can be applied to everyday life while Main idea is unique as it contains specific information.

Do your students struggle with theme? Teach them how to find a literary every time with a few simple steps. This post provides a step-by-step process for students to find the message of the text. Get them to ask the right questions to identify the theme every time.

I find this chart that differentiates story theme and moral very helpful. How about you?

This chart will help students remember the difference between theme which is found in literature and central idea which is found in informational text. It includes a definition for each and a set of steps to find the theme and central idea. It is a great resource for students to keep or for teachers to blow up and use as a poster in the classroom.