Finding the Main Idea in Fiction
A Grade 3 ELA worksheet to help students identify the main idea in fictional stories.
Includes
Standards
Topics
Finding the Main Idea in Fiction
Name:
Date:
Score:
Read the following stories carefully. Then, answer the questions about the main idea of each story.
Luna the dog loved to play fetch. Every morning, she would bring her favorite red ball to her owner, Tom. Tom would throw the ball far into the yard, and Luna would chase it with all her might. She never got tired of running and jumping. Sometimes, she would even do a little happy dance when she brought the ball back.
1. What is the main idea of the story about Luna?
Luna likes to eat red balls.
Luna is a playful dog who loves fetch.
Tom throws the ball for Luna.
Luna does a happy dance.
One sunny afternoon, a little squirrel named Squeaky found a tiny acorn. He decided to plant it so it could grow into a big oak tree. Squeaky dug a small hole with his paws and carefully placed the acorn inside. He covered it with dirt and watered it with dew drops from leaves. Squeaky visited his acorn every day, hoping to see a sprout.
2. The main idea of the story is that Squeaky the squirrel wants to .
3. What is the most important thing the story about Squeaky teaches us?
Lily loved to draw. She drew pictures of her cat, her house, and flowers in the garden. She used colorful crayons and bright markers. Her favorite thing to draw was a tall, magical castle with sparkling towers. She dreamed of living in such a castle one day. Drawing made Lily feel happy and creative.
4. The main idea of the story is that Lily loves to draw and feels happy doing it.
True
False
5. Think about a story you know. What is the main idea of that story?
