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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 24 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 recycling worker says: "Rinse your cans and bottles. Food left inside can spoil a whole truckload." What is the main idea?
  • A.Bottles are made of glass
  • B.Rinse recycling so it is not spoiled
  • C.Trucks are big
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.Two minutes is short
  • B.Dentists have chairs
  • C.Brushing properly protects your teeth
3.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.Nothing on the Moon wipes the footprints away
  • B.People like podcasts
  • C.The Moon is far away
4.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.Worms live underground
  • B.Worms help gardens grow
  • C.Roots need water
5.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.Washing well with soap removes germs
  • B.Nurses wear uniforms
  • C.Twenty is a big number
6.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.Librarians like books
  • B.Three weeks is a long time
  • C.Anyone can borrow library books for free
7.A coach says: "Warming up before a game stretches your muscles, so you are less likely to get hurt." What is the main idea?
  • A.Games are fun
  • B.Muscles can stretch
  • C.Warming up helps prevent injury
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 are built for hunting at night
  • B.Owls have feathers
  • C.Rangers work in parks

LessonPrint · SL.3.2 · Set 24 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Main Ideas from What You Heard

Set 24. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Rinse recycling so it is not spoiled
  2. 2.Brushing properly protects your teeth
  3. 3.Nothing on the Moon wipes the footprints away
  4. 4.Worms help gardens grow
  5. 5.Washing well with soap removes germs
  6. 6.Anyone can borrow library books for free
  7. 7.Warming up helps prevent injury
  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.