Grade 1 · Reading · Comprehension

1st Grade Main Topic and Key Details worksheets

6 printable versionsOn LevelAbout 10 minutes eachFree · no account

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

★

Tired of searching for worksheets?

We’ll email one free Grade 1 worksheet every school day. Your child does it on paper. No account needed.

Version

Main Topic and Key Details

Grade 1 Reading Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the answer.

Read this first
How Penguins Stay Warm
Penguins are birds that cannot fly. They swim very well in cold water. A thick layer of feathers keeps a penguin warm. A layer of fat helps too. Penguins also huddle together on cold days. They stand close to share their warmth. The penguins on the outside take turns moving to the middle. Then no penguin gets too cold.
1.
What is this text mostly about?
- how penguins play in the snow
- how penguins huddle
- how penguins stay warm
- why penguins cannot fly
2.
Which sentence is a key detail from this text?
- Penguins have no feathers.
- Penguins live in hot deserts.
- A thick layer of feathers keeps a penguin warm.
- Penguins fly south in the winter.
3.
Which sentence is NOT in this text?
- Penguins also huddle together on cold days.
- A thick layer of feathers keeps a penguin warm.
- A layer of fat helps too.
- Penguins fly south in the winter.
4.
Which title fits the whole text best?
- How Penguins Stay Warm
- Birds of the World
- Why Penguins Cannot Fly
5.
Which sentence gives another key detail?
- Penguins live in hot deserts.
- A layer of fat helps too.
- Penguins have no feathers.
- Penguins fly south in the winter.
6.
Which title is too small for the whole text?
- How Penguins Stay Warm
- Penguins Can Swim
- Birds of the World
7.
Which title is too big for this text?
- How Penguins Stay Warm
- How Penguins Huddle
- Birds of the World
8.
Which sentence tells more about how penguins stay warm?
- Penguins also huddle together on cold days.
- Penguins fly south in the winter.
- Penguins have no feathers.
- Penguins live in hot deserts.
9.
Which question does this text answer?
- What color are penguin eggs?
- How fast can penguins swim?
- How do penguins stay warm?
10.
What does the word "huddle" mean in this text?
- to stand close together
- to run away
- to jump high

1st Grade Main Topic and Key Details worksheet 1 – printable PDF — Download PDF: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

The main topic tells what a nonfiction text is mostly about, and key details teach something important about that topic. Young readers sometimes choose the most surprising sentence as the topic or select an answer that is true in real life but never appears in the text. This worksheet gives children short informational texts, printed once above the questions that use them, and asks them to name the broad topic, locate a supporting fact, reject an unrelated statement, choose a title that covers the whole text, and find another key detail.

Support versions use the shortest texts in the pool. Standard and challenge texts are longer, with more facts to sort. Before looking at the choices, ask your child to finish the sentence, 'This whole text teaches me about…' Then have them point to one sentence that proves their answer. That two-step routine links the big idea to evidence.

What your child will learn

State what a text is mostly about
Choose a key supporting detail
Reject an unrelated detail
Select a title that fits the whole text

Common Core standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.2

Worked example

A text says bees visit flowers and carry pollen. Its main topic is how bees help flowers; carrying pollen is one key detail.

Common mistake

Choosing one interesting detail as the main topic instead of finding an idea that covers every sentence.

Helpful hint

Ask what all the sentences teach together, then find a fact that supports that idea.

Next skill: Ask and Answer Questions Earlier: Beginning, Middle, and End

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with main topic and key details?

Choosing one interesting detail as the main topic instead of finding an idea that covers every sentence.

How can I help my child with main topic and key details?

Ask what all the sentences teach together, then find a fact that supports that idea.

Are these 1st grade reading worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

More 1st grade comprehension

See all comprehension

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records