Main Idea and Supporting Details Examples for 2nd Graders

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 📌 Main Idea: The main idea is what the story or paragraph is mostly about. Think of it as the big picture.
• 🖼️ Supporting Details: Supporting details are the little pieces of information that help explain the main idea. They give you more information about the big picture.
• 🤝 Finding the Main Idea: Sometimes the main idea is stated clearly, but other times you have to figure it out by looking at all the details.
• 📝 Types of Supporting Details: Supporting details can be facts, examples, reasons, or descriptions.
• 💡 Tip: Ask yourself, "What is the author trying to tell me?" to find the main idea.

Practice Quiz

1. Which sentence tells what the paragraph is mostly about?
   1. The dog wagged its tail.
   2. The dog likes to play fetch.
   3. Dogs make great pets.
2. What is a supporting detail?
   1. A detail that supports the main idea.
   2. A detail that makes the story longer.
   3. A detail that is not important.
3. Read the sentences: "My cat is black. My cat likes to sleep. My cat likes to eat." What is the main idea?
   1. My cat is black.
   2. My cat is a good pet.
   3. My cat likes to sleep.
4. Which of these is an example of a supporting detail?
   1. The sky is blue.
   2. Animals need food.
   3. Pizza is delicious, especially with pepperoni.
5. If the main idea is "Reading is fun," which sentence would be a supporting detail?
   1. Reading can take you on amazing adventures.
   2. Math is also important.
   3. I like to eat snacks.
6. The main idea of a story is usually found...
   1. Only in the middle of the story.
   2. At the beginning, the end, or not stated at all.
   3. Only at the very end of the story.
7. Which of the following is NOT a type of supporting detail?
   1. An opinion.
   2. A fact.
   3. A random thought.