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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 22 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.Elephants are heavy
  • B.Zookeepers feed elephants
  • C.Elephants keep getting new teeth
2.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.Brushing properly protects your teeth
  • B.Two minutes is short
  • C.Dentists have chairs
3.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 are built for hunting at night
  • C.Owls have feathers
4.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
5.A librarian says: "The library is free. You can borrow ten books at a time and keep them for three weeks." What is the main idea?
  • A.Anyone can borrow library books for free
  • B.Librarians like books
  • C.Three weeks is a long time
6.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.Smoke alarms need checking regularly
  • C.Batteries are expensive
7.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.People like podcasts
  • B.Nothing on the Moon wipes the footprints away
  • C.The Moon is far away
8.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

LessonPrint · SL.3.2 · Set 22 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Main Ideas from What You Heard

Set 22. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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.