1. You have just finished reading a short story to your teacher. Good reading! she says. What is the main idea? You reply, The main idea? The teacher says, Yes, what is the main idea of the story you read? You have just finished reading a short story to your teacher. Good reading! she says. What is the main idea? You reply, The main idea? The teacher says, Yes, what is the main idea of the story you read?

2. If you were stumped then about the main idea, or if you have EVER been stumped by that question, here is an idea that can really help you. The main idea is the main reason that the story was written.

3. Im sure you can tell me the main reason for lots of things...without even reading! Try it! 1. The main reason for going to school is.... A. You have a lot of new pencils. B. The school lunches are great C. You learn to read, write & do math

4. See? You know the main reason for going to school is to learn! It may be true that you have new pencils, and the school lunches are good. Even if these things are true, the main idea for coming to school is to learn.

5. "Try another one. C'mon....What are you waiting for???" 1. The main reason for brushing your teeth is.... A. Brushing is important for healthy teeth. B. You have a brand new Pokemon toothbrush. C. You are going to the dentist next week.

6. Yes! Brushing your teeth will keep them healthy. You may be a lucky kid with a new Pokeman toothbrush. You may also have to go to the dentist next week. The most important reason for brushing your teeth is to keep them healthy. The most important reason is called the main idea in reading! That's all there is to it!!

7. Thats all there is to main idea! After reading the next few paragraphs, stop and think, What is the main reason the author wrote this? Many good writers will tell you the main idea right in the topic sentence of the paragraph. Here is more practice!

8. Read this paragraph and then take the quiz below it! Alligators are dangerous animals! They are cute when they are small, and some people have tried to make them pets. As they grow older, the alligators grow very sharp teeth and gain lots of strength. They are not friendly animals and do not enjoy human company. It is uncommon, but alligators will attack humans. If you see an alligator, by all means, stay away from this dangerous animal!

9. 1. The main idea of this paragraph is.... A. Alligators have sharp teeth. B. Alligators are dangerous animals. C. Alligators are cute when they are small.

10. Why did the author write this paragraph? The writer wants you to know that alligators are dangerous! He tells you that in two places! The answer to this question was right there!

11. Alligators are dangerous animals! They are cute when they are small, and some people have tried to make them pets. As they grow older, the alligators grow very sharp teeth and gain lots of strength. They are not friendly animals and do not enjoy human company. It is uncommon, but alligators will attack humans. If you see an alligator, by all means, stay away from this dangerous animal!

12. Sometimes the writer will make it a little harder. He will want you to make a decision about a hidden message. Try to find the main idea of the alligator paragraph among these choices:

13. A. Alligators have sharp teeth. B. Alligators will attack humans. C. Alligators do not make good pets.

14. If these are your choices, then the main reason the writer wrote this paragraph is to tell you that alligators do not make good pets! In fact, he tells you to stay away from alligators, because they have sharp teeth and will attack humans. This type of question causes you to infer the writers hidden meaning. For more practice with this type of question, see Inference.see Inference

15. Do you like mysteries? Most kids are pretty good at figuring them out. You are probably a pretty good detective, yourself! If you are NOT a good detective, you might have trouble answering inference questions. So, lets sharpen your skills! You will be surprised at how easy inference can be. Inference means reading all the clues and making your best guess! Thats all! Look at this example of an inference question.

16. Read the paragraph and answer the question! Tommy and John were hot and sweaty as they sat outside the principals office. Dirt snared both of their faces, and they could hear their teachers voice as she gave Mr. Jones her account of what had happened. Tommy snared at John, and John returned the angry glare. As Miss Brown left Mr. Jones office, the boys hung their heads so they wouldnt have to look her in the eye.

17. Go Ahead...You Can Do It! 1. From this paragraph you can infer that... A. The boys were best friends. B. The boys had disappointed their teacher. C. The principal was a nice man.

18. Yes, indeed, Tommy and John had disappointed their teacher. What are the clues? We know the boys were mad at each other, because Tommy snared at John, and John returned the angry glare. We can guess that they had been fighting, because dirt smeared both of their faces, and they were sitting outside the principals office. The biggest clue is in the last sentence: the boys hung their heads so they wouldnt have to look her in the eye. They had disappointed their teacher.

19. Why are the other two answers wrong? Well, reread the paragraph. It does not say that the boys were best friends, but it doesnt say they were NOT best friends, either. We dont really know. All we know about the principal is that his name is Mr. Jones. He might be a nice guy, but the paragraph doesnt give us a clue about what kind of person he is. The only answer we can infer is that the boys felt that they had disappointed their teacher, because they didnt want to look her in the eye. Does that make sense to you? Try another mystery.