Main Idea and Summarizing

As soon as she arrived at grandmother's house, Kaithlyn ran into her bedroom to look at the blue quilt. It covered her grandmother's bed and was Kaithlyn's favorite. It had patches of dark blue, medium blue, and light blue, with pictures of birds and flowers on every other patch. Kaithlyn liked to take naps with the quilt wrapped around her. She loved the way it felt so soft and warm against her skin. Whenever she was visiting grandma, just looking at the quilt made Kaithlyn happy. The Summary of this passage is:

• Kaithlyn's grandmother has a pretty blue quilt.

• Kaithlyn loved her grandmother's quilt.

• Kaithlyn took naps at her grandmother's house.

• The quilt was warm.

"Are you already done, son?" his father asked. "It seems like you just got in the water." Darren was finished with his bath in less than two minutes. He got his body and hair wet, rubbed some grape flavored shampoo on his hair, washed his body with soap, and quickly rinsed it off. He liked to take fast baths so he would have more time to play. In fact, Darren never took a long bath. To him, the faster the bath, the better. The Summary of this passage is:

• Darren is very clean.

• Darren uses grape flavored shampoo.

• Darren likes to take fast baths.

• Darren never took showers.

Jayelle had a birthday party at her house. She invited lots of friends. They all brought her a present to open. She was excited to share cupcakes with her friends. She thanked everyone for coming before they went home. What is the best summary for this paragraph?

• Jayelle opened presents.

• Jayelle ate cupcakes with her friends.

• Jayelle had a birthday party with her friends.

• Jayelle thanked her friends for coming.

Tyrone really wanted an adventure. He borrowed his friend's bike and explored the world. He saw many amazing things and had a lot of fun. Tyrone was so glad he went on his trip! What is the best summary for this paragraph?

• Tyrone saw amazing things.

• Tyrone went on a fun bike adventure.

• Tyrone was glad he went on a trip.

• Tyrone wanted to explore.

What is the main idea?

• There are many fun things to do at the beach.

• It is also fun to look for shells.

• Some people simply like to sunbathe.

• Going to the beach to swim can be fun.

Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way.
Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?

• Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is

• Pictures help weather reporters get information out in a fast way

• Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short

• They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area

Seated on his throne, King Midas wore a golden crown. He had golden rings on each finger and held a golden scepter. His vest was embroidered with golden thread and even his shoes had golden ornaments. He had a golden box filled with gold coins. He named his daughter Marigold.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?

• King Midas loved gold.

• King Midas sold lots of gold.

• King Midas had a heart of gold.

• King Midas hated gold.

Tom started to reel in his line. The fish tugged and pulled hard. Judging by the weight of his catch, this fish could feed his family for three days. Tom struggled to stay in the boat and not be pulled over the side. Finally his catch came into view. He had snagged a snapping turtle!
What is the main idea?

• Tom finds enough food for his family.

• Tom gets pulled out of his boat by a huge fish.

• Tom didn't catch anything.

• Tom catches a snapping turtle while fishing.

I can't wait until this weekend! We’re going to my grandparents’ house and my entire family will be there. I will spend most of my time playing games with my cousins. We always have such a good time together! The day goes by so fast, and by the end we are all exhausted... but we still don’t want to leave!
What is the main idea?

• Weekends are times to travel.

• The author enjoys spending time with her family.

• The author's grandparents live far away.

• The author is sad to leave her cousins.

Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.  Soccer players learn how to dribble and pass the ball.  They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.  Most importantly, soccer players learn how to work together with their teammates.
What is the main idea?

• They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.

• Soccer players learn how to dribble.

• They learn how to work together as teammates.

• Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.