Central Idea and Key Details

Start with Which Detail Supports the Central Idea? for quick practice, then move to the full articles. Ask students to explain why each wrong choice is too narrow or off topic.

Read When Coral Turns White, then write its central idea and 3 key details about bleaching. The central idea is the most important point of an article, and key details are the facts that explain or support it. The directions on the page read: Read the article. Then write its central idea and three key details on page 2, and answer the question. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 6th Grade main idea and details, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with main idea. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

Ask what the whole article is mostly about, then check that most details support it. In Find the Central Idea of an Article, the octopus article is about how octopuses solve problems, not just about opening jars.

A fact or example that proves or explains the central idea. Which Detail Supports the Central Idea? has students reject true details that do not help, like where the Sahara is.

Some choices are only one detail, such as some octopuses open jars, or a fact that is true but too narrow. The central idea must cover the whole article.