Let’s work through each paragraph one by one to find the main idea.
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First Paragraph:
> I have a dog named Boots. I taught him lots of tricks. When I tell him to, Boots will sit or lie down. He can also wave his paw to greet people. When I say, “Dance, Boots.”, he will stand up on two legs and walk. I don’t know of many dogs that can do such amazing tricks.
This paragraph is all about how Boots can do many cool tricks — sitting, lying down, waving, dancing. The writer even says they don’t know many dogs that can do such amazing tricks. So the main idea isn’t just that Boots is their dog (that’s just an introduction), or that he can sit (too small), or that most dogs can’t dance (that’s not the focus). The big picture is that Boots is very smart because he learned so many tricks.
✔ Best answer:
c. Boots is very smart.
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Second Paragraph:
> Yesterday was my birthday. When I woke up, I noticed my brother Todd hung up a big sign that said, “Happy Birthday, Joey!” Mom made spaghetti for dinner. It’s my favorite food in the whole world. My friend Dave came over and handed me a wrapped gift. I wondered what it was. It was a new basketball! I had a great day.
The narrator is Joey (since the sign says “Happy Birthday, Joey!”). Everything in the paragraph is about how great Joey’s birthday was — sign, favorite food, gift, great day. Todd helped, but the story is about Joey’s day. Dave gave a gift, but again, it’s part of Joey’s experience.
✔ Best answer:
b. Joey had a great birthday.
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Third Paragraph:
> Peter’s parents bought a new carpet for the living room. Now, he has to take his shoes off when he enters the house. He’s also not allowed to eat or drink in the living room any more. Peter’s furry dog isn’t allowed to play ball in there either. When his parents got the new carpet, there were lots of new rules.
The paragraph lists several new rules that started after the new carpet was installed. The last sentence says: “When his parents got the new carpet, there were lots of new rules.” That’s the key — the main idea is that new rules were made to protect the new carpet.
✔ Best answer:
d. Peter’s parents made new rules so the new carpet stays clean.
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Final Answer:
1. c
2. b
3. d
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of main idea practice worksheet.
