Printable Scholar

Free Main Idea Worksheets

Short passages for finding the topic, the main idea and the details that support it. Start with the chart, then pick a passage. Every passage has a question page and an answer key.

Main Idea and Details Chart printable preview

Main Idea and Details Chart

Chart

Topic, main idea and details on one page, with three steps and a worked example. Read it together first.

Download PDF
Sea Otters reading passageSea Otters comprehension questions

Sea Otters

2nd Grade

A nonfiction passage of 155 words with 6 questions. Answer key on page 3.

Download PDF
Busy Beavers reading passageBusy Beavers comprehension questions

Busy Beavers

2nd Grade

A nonfiction passage of 130 words with 6 questions. Answer key on page 3.

Download PDF
Our Moon reading passageOur Moon comprehension questions

Our Moon

2nd Grade

A nonfiction passage of 132 words with 6 questions. Answer key on page 3.

Download PDF
How a Letter Travels reading passageHow a Letter Travels comprehension questions

How a Letter Travels

2nd Grade

A nonfiction passage of 137 words with 6 questions. Answer key on page 3.

Download PDF
2nd Grade Main Idea Reading Passages Pack cover
Printable pack

Want more? Get the 2nd Grade Main Idea Reading Passages Pack

The 4 free main idea passages above, plus 16 more that are only in the pack.

Get the pack for $6 One-time purchase. Instant download. Secure checkout by Stripe.

About these main idea worksheets

The main idea is the most important thing a text says about its topic. These worksheets teach it in three steps: find the topic (the word that comes up again and again), find the sentence that says what the whole text is about, then find the details that tell more.

Each passage has four numbered paragraphs, so a question can ask for the main idea of the whole text or of one paragraph. A crayon beside a question means the child goes back to the passage and underlines the proof in that color.

Frequently Asked Questions

What grade are these main idea worksheets for?
Second grade. The passages are 130 to 160 words in large type. A strong first grader or a third grader who needs review can use them too.
What are the crayons next to the questions for?
They ask for proof. The child underlines the sentence in the passage that shows the answer, using the crayon color printed beside the question. The answer key quotes the same sentence.
Do the worksheets have answer keys?
Yes. Each PDF is three pages: the passage, the questions and the answer key.