The Main Idea Hunt: A Staple of Postsecondary Developmental Literacy Instruction… but Should It Be?

ABSTRACT Find and underline the author's main idea. Such instructional directives have long been a staple of postsecondary literacy instruction, at least as gauged by their prevalence in developmental reading (and integrated reading and writing, IRW) course textbooks. We question whether this discrete skill should continue to be taught, given its misalignment with the rigorous and complex interpretive literacy demands of college‐level reading. Drawing from a critical content analysis of current IRW textbooks, we identify how “main idea” instruction remains rooted in decontextualized, surface‐level assumptions that limit reader agency and meaning‐making. We highlight our theoretical dissonance in relation to contemporary literacy theory and offer shifts away from what we see as a reductive and outdated pedagogical practice. We conclude by calling for theory‐aligned alternatives that foster deeper interpretive engagement and prepare students for authentic academic literacy tasks.