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Main Ideas from What You Heard is a free printable Grade 3 English worksheet on naming the main idea of something a speaker said, aligned to Common Core standard SL.3.2. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 11 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Main Ideas from What You Heard

SL.3.2

NameDate

Circle the main idea of what you heard.

1.A crossing patrol says: "Stop at the curb, look both ways, and only cross when the road is clear." What is the main idea?
  • A.Roads have curbs
  • B.Cars drive fast
  • C.How to cross the road safely
2.A park ranger tells your class: "Owls hunt at night. Their soft feathers make no sound, and their big eyes see in the dark." What is the main idea?
  • A.Rangers work in parks
  • B.Owls have feathers
  • C.Owls are built for hunting at night
3.A weather forecaster says: "Storms will reach the coast by evening. Bring in anything loose from your yard." What is the main idea?
  • A.Evening comes after afternoon
  • B.Get ready, because a storm is coming
  • C.Gardens have things in them
4.A firefighter says: "Check your smoke alarm every month. Press the button, and if it does not beep, change the battery." What is the main idea?
  • A.Smoke alarms need checking regularly
  • B.Alarms have buttons
  • C.Batteries are expensive
5.A baker says: "Bread needs time. If you rush the rising, the loaf comes out flat and heavy." What is the main idea?
  • A.Bread must be given time to rise
  • B.Bakers get up early
  • C.Some loaves are heavy
6.You hear on a podcast: "The Moon has no air and no wind, so footprints left there long ago are still there." What is the main idea?
  • A.The Moon is far away
  • B.People like podcasts
  • C.Nothing on the Moon wipes the footprints away
7.A dentist says: "Brush for two minutes, twice a day, and the sugar that harms your teeth is cleared away." What is the main idea?
  • A.Dentists have chairs
  • B.Two minutes is short
  • C.Brushing properly protects your teeth
8.A gardener says: "Worms are a garden's best friends. They mix the soil and let air and water reach the roots." What is the main idea?
  • A.Roots need water
  • B.Worms live underground
  • C.Worms help gardens grow

LessonPrint · SL.3.2 · Set 11 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Main Ideas from What You Heard

Set 11. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.How to cross the road safely
  2. 2.Owls are built for hunting at night
  3. 3.Get ready, because a storm is coming
  4. 4.Smoke alarms need checking regularly
  5. 5.Bread must be given time to rise
  6. 6.Nothing on the Moon wipes the footprints away
  7. 7.Brushing properly protects your teeth
  8. 8.Worms help gardens grow

More practice for SL.3.2

Pick out the main ideas and details from something you heard or saw.

Teaching this next? Getting the Main Ideas From Listening is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 3 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to SL.3.2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.