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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 21 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 zookeeper says: "Elephants keep growing new teeth. When one set wears down, another moves forward." What is the main idea?
  • A.Zookeepers feed elephants
  • B.Elephants keep getting new teeth
  • C.Elephants are heavy
2.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
3.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.Alarms have buttons
  • B.Batteries are expensive
  • C.Smoke alarms need checking regularly
4.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.How to cross the road safely
  • B.Roads have curbs
  • C.Cars drive fast
5.A recycling worker says: "Rinse your cans and bottles. Food left inside can spoil a whole truckload." What is the main idea?
  • A.Rinse recycling so it is not spoiled
  • B.Bottles are made of glass
  • C.Trucks are big
6.A nurse says: "Washing your hands for twenty seconds gets rid of most germs. The soap does the work." What is the main idea?
  • A.Twenty is a big number
  • B.Nurses wear uniforms
  • C.Washing well with soap removes germs
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.Two minutes is short
  • B.Brushing properly protects your teeth
  • C.Dentists have chairs
8.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.Owls have feathers
  • B.Owls are built for hunting at night
  • C.Rangers work in parks

LessonPrint · SL.3.2 · Set 21 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Main Ideas from What You Heard

Set 21. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Elephants keep getting new teeth
  2. 2.Nothing on the Moon wipes the footprints away
  3. 3.Smoke alarms need checking regularly
  4. 4.How to cross the road safely
  5. 5.Rinse recycling so it is not spoiled
  6. 6.Washing well with soap removes germs
  7. 7.Brushing properly protects your teeth
  8. 8.Owls are built for hunting at night

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.