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Main idea and supporting details

This material helps 3rd-grade students identify the main idea and supporting details in short nonfiction paragraphs. Students practice by answering questions about the main idea, selecting supporting details, filling in the main idea, and sequencing steps to understand paragraph structure.

By Edform · English language arts · Grade 3 · Published Oct 15, 2026 · New

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Questions

  1. What is the main idea of a paragraph?
  2. Which of these are supporting details for a paragraph about why exercise is healthy?
  3. Fill in the blank with the main idea: 'Dogs are helpful animals. They can guide people who cannot see, help police officers, and comfort people who are sad.' The main idea is: ___.
  4. Put the steps in order to find the main idea in a nonfiction paragraph.
  5. Choose the main idea in this sentence: 'Rainforests are important because they provide homes for animals, help clean the air, and give us medicine.' The main idea is ___.
  6. Match each main idea to a supporting detail.
  7. Sort these sentences into 'Main Idea' or 'Supporting Detail'.
  8. Decide if each statement about main ideas and supporting details is true or false.
  9. What do we call the sentences that give facts or examples to explain the main idea?
  10. Which sentence is most likely the main idea of a paragraph?

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