Finding Main Ideas and Taking Notes

English · Reading Comprehension · ages 7-10

Name ______________________ Date ____________

A good note can leave out a fun detail as long as it keeps the big point.
Circle one: True False
What does the main idea of a paragraph mean?
- Every single word in the paragraph
- The one big point the paragraph is mostly about
- The last sentence of the paragraph
When taking notes on facts, you should copy whole sentences from the text.
Circle one: True False
What is a summary of a long text?
- Key points in your own words
- A copy of the first paragraph
- A list of every word used
Read this: 'A spider spins a web from silk that comes out of its own body. The sticky web catches flying insects for the spider to eat.' What is the main idea?
- Spiders are animals
- Insects can fly
- A spider spins a sticky silk web to catch insects to eat
The text says: 'The blue whale is the biggest animal on Earth.' Which words would you keep in your notes?
- The blue whale is the biggest animal on Earth
- blue whale, biggest animal on Earth
- the, is, on
The text says: 'A sunflower can grow taller than a grown-up.' Which is the best note?
- A sunflower can grow taller than a grown-up.
- Sunflowers are the prettiest flower in the garden
- Height: taller than a grown-up
Read this: 'A lighthouse stands on the coast and shines a bright light out to sea. The light warns ships to stay away from the rocks. Some lighthouses are painted with red and white stripes.' Which one of these is a detail, not the main idea?
- A lighthouse warns ships to keep away from the rocks
- Some lighthouses have red and white stripes
- A lighthouse shines a light so that ships stay safe
Read this: 'Sea turtles swim right across the ocean to lay their eggs. They come back to the very beach where they were born. Baby turtles are small enough to sit in your hand.' Which note misses the main idea?
- Babies: small enough to sit in your hand
- Journey: swims across the ocean to lay eggs
- Nest: goes back to the beach where it was born
Sam's notes on the moon say: 'Name: the moon. Light: The moon does not make its own light, it only reflects light from the sun. Shape: looks round.' Which note keeps too much?
- Name: the moon
- Shape: looks round
- Light: The moon does not make its own light, it only reflects light from the sun

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Finding Main Ideas and Taking Notes W1-mt_sMAcZW6vWM-s1

True · Notes keep the words that carry the main idea. The extra details can go, because the text still holds them if you need them again.
The one big point the paragraph is mostly about · The main idea is the one big point, not every detail or just the last sentence.
False · Notes should be short, like key words, not whole copied sentences.
Key points in your own words · A summary pulls out the key points and says them in your own words, not a copy.
A spider spins a sticky silk web to catch insects to eat · 'Spiders are animals' is so big it would fit any spider text, and 'Insects can fly' is one small fact from the middle. Both sentences are really about the web and the food it catches.
blue whale, biggest animal on Earth · Little joining words like 'the' and 'is' can go. The words that carry the fact are 'blue whale' and 'biggest animal on Earth'.
Height: taller than a grown-up · A note keeps the fact in a few words. Copying the sentence keeps too much, and calling sunflowers the prettiest is a feeling the text never gives.
Some lighthouses have red and white stripes · The stripes are a small extra fact. The paragraph is mostly about a lighthouse warning ships away from the rocks.
Babies: small enough to sit in your hand · The size of a baby turtle is a fun detail. The paragraph is mostly about the long journey back to the home beach, so a note with only the size loses the point.
Light: The moon does not make its own light, it only reflects light from the sun · That entry is a whole sentence copied out. Something like 'Light: reflects the sun' holds the same fact in three words.