Main Idea and Theme

I can't wait until this weekend! We’re going to my grandparents’ house and my entire family will be there. I will spend most of my time playing games with my cousins. We always have such a good time together! The day goes by so fast, and by the end we are all exhausted... but we still don’t want to leave!
What is the main idea?

• Weekends are times to travel.
• The author enjoys spending time with her family.
• The author's grandparents live far away.
• The author is sad to leave her cousins.

A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize as fast as he could go. As he crossed a narrow bridge, he looked down and saw his reflection in the quiet water as if in a mirror. But the greedy Dog thought he saw a real Dog carrying a bone much bigger than his own. If he had stopped to think he would have known better. But instead of thinking, he dropped his bone and sprang at the Dog in the river, only to find himself swimming for dear life to reach the shore. At last he managed to scramble out, and as he stood sadly thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized what a foolish Dog he had been.
What is the theme?

• Be honest.
• Don't be greedy.
• Always share your things with others.
• Be respectful to others.

The theme of a story is the...

• climax
• exposition
• life lesson
• problem

The boys never expected to get caught stealing the bag of chips, but the security camera caught their theft.

• Theme
• Main Idea

Never give up on something that is important to you.

• Theme
• Main Idea

Even if someone has something else that you want, you should still be thankful for what you have.

• Theme
• Main Idea

What the story is mostly about

• main idea

• Theme

The message, lesson, or moral of a story.

• Main Idea

• Theme

What is the difference between THEME and MAIN IDEA?

• Theme is a universal lesson and the main idea is what the story is about.
• The theme is what the story is about and main idea is the universal lesson it teaches.

Where can you find the main idea?

• The beginning of a paragraph, the end of a paragraph, or ask yourself "what is this story mainly about?".
• The beginning and end of a paragraph
• The beginning of a paragraph, the middle of a paragraph, or the end of a paragraph.
• The main idea cannot be found in a text.