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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 9 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 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 help gardens grow
  • B.Worms live underground
  • C.Roots need water
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.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.How to cross the road safely
  • C.Cars drive fast
4.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 are heavy
  • C.Elephants keep getting new teeth
5.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.The Moon is far away
  • C.Nothing on the Moon wipes the footprints away
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 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.Washing well with soap removes germs
  • C.Nurses wear uniforms
8.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.Warming up helps prevent injury
  • B.Muscles can stretch
  • C.Games are fun

LessonPrint · SL.3.2 · Set 9 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Main Ideas from What You Heard

Set 9. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Worms help gardens grow
  2. 2.Brushing properly protects your teeth
  3. 3.How to cross the road safely
  4. 4.Elephants keep getting new teeth
  5. 5.Nothing on the Moon wipes the footprints away
  6. 6.Anyone can borrow library books for free
  7. 7.Washing well with soap removes germs
  8. 8.Warming up helps prevent injury

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.