Main Idea & Details Worksheets
Find the big idea of a passage and the details that support it.
Worksheets
The big idea
The main idea is what a text is mostly about, usually in a single sentence; the details are the facts, examples and descriptions that support it. A useful test: if the sentence could be the title of the passage, it is probably the main idea. Details answer who, what, where, when and why.
Children often confuse the topic (‘bees’) with the main idea (‘Bees help flowers make fruit’). Ask them to finish the sentence ‘This passage is mostly about… because…’ and to find two details that prove it.
Questions parents ask
How do I help my child with main idea & details?
Practise with short passages, ask 'how do you know?' after each answer, and have them point to the evidence in the text.
Which grades is this for?
Mostly Grade 2 to Grade 5, though stronger readers can try harder sheets and others can use easier ones.
