Let’s work through this step by step.
We are given a short story titled “A New Friend” about Sarah, who is new at school and feels shy during recess. Emily notices her, invites her to play soccer, and they become good friends.
The question asks:
What is the main idea?
That means we need to find the *most important point* of the whole story — not just one detail, but what the entire paragraph is mostly about.
Let’s look at the options:
A. Sarah was new to Pine Hills Elementary School.
→ This is true, but it’s only the beginning of the story. It sets up the situation, but doesn’t cover what happens next or the result.
B. Emily was playing soccer during recess.
→ Also true, but again, this is just a small detail. The story isn’t mainly about Emily playing soccer — it’s about how that led to friendship.
C. Sarah felt shy and alone.
→ True at first, but then she stops feeling that way after Emily invites her. So this is only part of the story, not the main idea.
D. Sarah and Emily became friends after Emily invited her to play.
→ This covers the key event (Emily inviting Sarah) AND the result (they became friends). It includes the change from being alone to having a friend — which is the heart of the story.
✔ So, D is the best answer because it captures the full meaning of the story — not just a fact, but the overall message: someone reached out, and a friendship began.
Now, for the supporting details — we need two facts from the story that help prove the main idea (that they became friends after Emily invited her).
From the text:
- “Emily... noticed Sarah and invited her to join the game.” → This shows the invitation.
- “Sarah felt happy and welcomed, and soon they became good friends, sharing laughs and secrets.” → This shows the result: friendship.
These two sentences directly support option D.
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Final Answer:
Main Idea:
D
Supporting Detail 1: Emily noticed Sarah and invited her to join the soccer game.
Supporting Detail 2: Sarah felt happy and welcomed, and soon they became good friends, sharing laughs and secrets.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of worksheet on main idea.