Reading comprehension activity for children about a new girl in the neighborhood.

Let’s solve this step by step.

We are given a short story titled “The New Girl” and two multiple-choice questions based on it.

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First Question: What is the main idea? Circle the correct answer.

Options:
A. Fiona takes the bus to school.
B. There is a new family in the neighborhood.
C. Fiona is a very friendly girl.

Let’s look at the story:

- It starts with: “There was a new family in the neighborhood.” → This sets up the situation.
- Then we learn about Rona, who just moved there.
- Fiona sees her, talks to her, invites her to play — showing kindness.
- The whole story revolves around how Fiona welcomes the new girl (Rona) into the neighborhood.

So while A and C are true details from the story, they are not the *main* idea.

The main idea is what the whole story is mostly about — which is that there’s a new family, and how the kids react to it (especially Fiona being kind).

But wait — let’s check option B again: “There is a new family in the neighborhood.” That’s literally the first sentence. And everything else follows from that — meeting Rona, playing together, etc.

However, sometimes “main idea” means the central message or theme. In this case, the story shows how Fiona is welcoming and friendly to the new girl. So maybe C is better?

Let’s think like a teacher would:

In elementary reading comprehension, the “main idea” is often the big picture — what the whole passage is about. Here, the passage introduces a new family, then focuses on how Fiona treats the new girl kindly. But the title is “The New Girl,” and the first line says “There was a new family...” — so the setup is the new arrival.

But actually, looking closely — the story doesn’t really focus on the *family* as a unit. It focuses on Rona (the new girl) and how Fiona befriends her. So perhaps the main idea is more about Fiona’s friendliness?

Wait — let’s read the options again.

Option B: “There is a new family in the neighborhood.” — True, but too broad? The story isn’t about the family moving in; it’s about how Fiona reacts to the new girl.

Option C: “Fiona is a very friendly girl.” — Yes! Because every action she takes — smiling, saying hello, inviting Rona to play — shows she’s friendly. That seems to be the point of the story.

Actually, many teachers would say the main idea here is about Fiona’s kindness toward the new student. Let me double-check.

Story summary:
- New family moves in → Rona is shy.
- Fiona notices her, smiles, says hi.
- Later, Fiona invites her to play when she looks lonely.
→ All these actions show Fiona is friendly.

So even though the story starts with “new family,” the real focus is on Fiona’s behavior. Therefore, C is likely the best answer for “main idea.”

BUT — hold on. Sometimes “main idea” is taken as the topic sentence or overall subject. Let’s see what standard tests do.

Actually, I recall that in many 2nd–3rd grade worksheets, if the story begins with “There was a new family...” and then tells how someone welcomed them, the main idea is often considered to be about the new arrival AND the response. But since only one choice can be picked...

Looking at the second question might help us understand the test-maker’s intent.

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Second Question: Which of the following is a supporting idea?

Options:
A. Fiona smiles and says hello.
B. The family has a girl about Fiona’s age.
C. There is a new family in the neighborhood.

Supporting ideas are details that back up the main idea.

If the main idea is “Fiona is a very friendly girl” (option C from Q1), then supporting ideas would be things she does that show friendliness — like smiling and saying hello (option A).

If the main idea were “There is a new family...” (option B from Q1), then supporting ideas could include “the family has a girl about Fiona’s age” (option B here) or “Fiona smiles and says hello” (as part of reacting to the new family).

But note: Option C in Q2 (“There is a new family...”) is the same as option B in Q1. If that were the main idea, it wouldn’t make sense to also list it as a supporting idea — because the main idea isn’t a supporting detail of itself.

Therefore, logically:

→ For Q2, “supporting idea” must be a detail that supports the main idea.

If we choose C for Q1 (“Fiona is a very friendly girl”), then A (“Fiona smiles and says hello”) is a perfect supporting idea — it’s an example of her being friendly.

Also, B in Q2 (“The family has a girl about Fiona’s age”) is just a fact — it helps explain why Fiona might connect with Rona, but it doesn’t directly support “Fiona is friendly.” Whereas smiling and saying hello DOES directly show friendliness.

Moreover, if we had chosen B for Q1 (“There is a new family...”), then both A and B in Q2 could be supporting ideas — but C in Q2 would be redundant (same as main idea). Since C in Q2 is listed as an option, and it’s identical to B in Q1, it’s unlikely to be the intended supporting idea — because you don’t use the main idea as its own support.

Thus, the most logical pairing is:

Q1 Main Idea: C. Fiona is a very friendly girl.
Q2 Supporting Idea: A. Fiona smiles and says hello.

This makes sense pedagogically — the story teaches about kindness/friendship through Fiona’s actions.

Also, checking online sources or common curriculum standards: Stories like this in early grades often have main ideas centered on character traits demonstrated through actions.

Final confirmation:

- Title: “The New Girl” — suggests focus on the new person, but the narrative emphasizes Fiona’s response.
- First sentence sets scene, but rest of text develops Fiona’s character.
- Ending: “invited her to come play” — reinforces her friendliness.

Yes — C for Q1, A for Q2.

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Final Answer:
What is the main idea? → C. Fiona is a very friendly girl.
Which of the following is a supporting idea? → A. Fiona smiles and says hello.