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Main Idea Identification

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Main Idea Identification

Read each passage carefully. Think about what the whole passage is mostly about, then look for details that support that idea.

Main Ideas and Details

A main idea tells what a text is mostly about. Supporting details give more information about that main idea.

1.What does the main idea of a text tell you?

What the whole text is mostly about
How many sentences the text has
The name of the first character
The last word in the text

2.How do supporting details help a reader understand a passage?

They give information that explains the main idea.
They change the passage into a list of questions.
They always tell what happens at the end.
They make every sentence the same length.

Reading Practice: The Netball Tournament

Isla, Layla and Ivy’s team had a busy morning at the netball tournament. Before their first game, the players practised passing the ball and checked that their shoes were tied. During the match, they called to one another and moved into open spaces. When the other team scored, they kept trying and encouraged each other. At the end, the coach thanked everyone for working together, whether or not they had scored a goal.

3.What is the main idea of the passage about the netball tournament?

4.Write three details from the passage that support its main idea.

5.Which sentence best sums up the whole netball passage?

The players prepared for a tournament and helped each other during their game.
The team scored more goals than every other team.
The coach taught the players how to tie their shoes.
The players spent the morning looking for a new court.

6.Match each detail from the passage to the way it supports the main idea.

The players practised passing before the game.
They called to one another during the match.
They encouraged each other after the other team scored.

They worked together as a team.
They prepared for the tournament.
They supported one another.

Try Another Passage

At the school library, a group of children helped make story time welcoming. They arranged cushions in a circle and chose books with bright pictures. Each reader took a turn sharing a page, while the others listened quietly. After the stories, the children put the books back on the shelf so they would be ready for the next visitors.

7.What is the main idea of the passage about story time?

8.Name two details from the story-time passage that support its main idea.