Main Idea & Supporting Details — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The main idea is the big point of a story.
The big point of a story is its main thought, so the word main fits best. The main idea is what the writer most wants you to know.
2. A detail tells more about the main idea.
A small piece of information that tells more about the main idea is called a detail. Details add helpful facts to the big thought.
3. Clues in a story help you find the topic.
Clues in a story help you figure out what the story is about, and what it is about is the topic. The clues point straight to the topic.
4. The title can give a clue about the main idea.
A title is a hint that gives you a peek at what the story is about, so it gives a clue. Good readers look at the title first to get a clue.
5. A story about dogs has dogs as its topic.
If the whole story is about dogs, then dogs are the one thing the story is mostly about, so dogs are the topic. The topic is what the story focuses on.
6. Supporting details are extra facts about the idea.
Supporting details give you extra facts that tell you more about the main idea. These small facts help the big idea make sense.
7. The main idea is what the story is mostly about.
What a story is mostly about is the main idea, so the missing word is idea. The main idea is the biggest thought in the story.
8. If a story tells about cats playing, playing is the main idea.
When cats playing is the action the story tells about, playing is the main idea of what is happening. The main idea names the most important thing going on.
9. You look for clues to know what a story is about.
To know what a story is about, readers hunt for clues in the words and pictures. Clues are little hints that lead you to the main idea.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
A story about pets
→ Dogs and cats play
Dogs and cats play
A story about rain
→ Puddles form outside
Puddles form outside
A story about food
→ We eat lunch at noon
We eat lunch at noon
A story about bedtime
→ Kids brush their teeth
Kids brush their teeth
Pets means animals like dogs and cats, so a story about pets matches dogs and cats playing. Rain makes puddles outside, food is what we eat for lunch, and bedtime is when we get ready to sleep by brushing our teeth, so each story matches the detail that fits its topic.