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Finding the Main Idea WorksheetFinding the Main Idea Worksheet
Publisher
Curated OER
Resource Details
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Grade
1st - 2nd
Subjects
English Language Arts
3 more...
Resource Types
Worksheets
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For Teacher Use
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Fine Print: Educational Use
Worksheet

Finding the Main Idea

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Finding the Main Idea worksheet also includes:
  • Answer Key
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The carnival is in town! After reading a short excerpt about a day at the carnival, learners use details to determine the story's main idea. They must differentiate the details from the big picture, as there are multiple options they can choose from as the main idea. Finally, they record three details from the story in three boxes. Consider asking them to practice sequence by making these three details consecutive.

489 Views 965 Downloads

Concepts

main ideas, central ideas, key details, details, fiction

Additional Tags

details, fiction, main idea, excerpt, key details, english language arts

Classroom Considerations

  • Be sure to note the answer key is wrong. See Pros and Cons section for more details. 

Pros

  • None

Cons

  • Whoops! The answers are wrong on this resource. The correct answer for the multiple choice question is B: James and Anna did many things at the carnival. 

See similar resources:

Worksheet

Find the Main Idea: The Meerkat

K12 Reader
After examining a short article about African meerkats, readers identify the main idea and supporting ideas in the paragraph.
2nd - 3rd English Language Arts
CCSS: Designed
Lesson Plan

Comprehension: Identify the Main Idea from Text

Curated OER
Children in first grade listen and read along with the teacher to practice main idea identification. They use the provided reading passages to read, locate the main idea and supporting details. This is a fully scripted lesson which means...
1st English Language Arts
PPT

Recognizing the Main Idea

Curated OER
Understanding that paragraphs have a main idea expressed in a topic sentence, followed by supporting details in the subsequent sentences is the focus of this presentation. Students practice by reading short paragraphs in 10 slides, and...
2nd - 4th English Language Arts
Lesson Plan

The Best Main Idea

Curated OER
What is the main idea? Interest your young readers with this fun introductory lesson! After selecting several items from a paper bag, the teacher leads learners to determine the big idea for those items. This concept is then applied to...
K - 4th English Language Arts
CCSS: Designed
Lesson Plan

Reintroduce: Main Idea

Curated OER
What would a main idea be without important details? Readers use a graphic organizer to record key details from an informational text (a fiction text would also work). Review main idea as a concept before beginning, asking scholars...
K - 3rd English Language Arts
Lesson Plan

Guided Reading: Main Idea

Curated OER
Readers are presented with a list of three questions and asked to actively listen to a story or article to answer them. They verbally answer the questions to learn the strategy. Next, read a story to them or have them silently read a...
K - 4th English Language Arts
Lesson Plan

Using a Title to Determine Main Idea (Nonfiction)

Curated OER
Young readers explore a nonfiction text for its main idea. They will listen to the book Animal Sight by Kirsten Hall, and then observe as the teacher models a main idea think-aloud. Later, for independent practice, they listen to the...
K - 2nd English Language Arts
CCSS: Designed
Worksheet

Paragraphs: Main Idea and Supporting Details

Curated OER
This is a great way to review the concept of main idea and supporting details with younger learners. Learners read two short passages and identify the main idea and supporting details using visual prompts and a graphic organizer.
2nd - 3rd English Language Arts
Study Guide

Fcat Express: Main Idea With Supporting Details

University of South Florida
Strategies to help students recognize main ideas and supporting details provided by a standardized test preparation site intended for fourth grade. Includes strategies such as Main Idea Pyramids, Number Notes, QAR (Question/Answer...
2nd - 5th English Language Arts
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Build Mastery: Main Idea

Curated OER
Use a graphic organizer to get readers thinking about main ideas as they record the who, what, where, when, and why of a story. Consider modeling this process completely before kids do this independently. They fill in five boxes charting...
K - 4th English Language Arts
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