This document provides guidance on identifying the main ideas of a paragraph or text. It explains that the main idea is the overall purpose or topic that all information in the paragraph connects to. Not all details are equally important to the main point. The document recommends reading the entire text, determining the author's overall purpose, and paying close attention to the first and last sentences to identify the main idea. An example paragraph is provided about the 12 men who have walked on the moon between 1969 and 1972, with its main idea identified as being about moon walkers.