Central Idea Worksheets for 6th to 8th Grade

What your child practices

Central Idea is a core 6th to 8th grade language arts skill (Grades 6 to 8 in Canada), and this set gives your child 54 questions over 6 worksheets. Middle school writing is judged on clarity and precision, and practicing Central Idea directly helps your child revise their own essays and reports. It opens with a guided Learn and Practice page, moves on to a practice sheet and a review test, then finishes with two quick quizzes and a mixed review. The skill matches Common Core RI.6.2, the standard for identifying the main topic or main idea of a nonfiction text. In Canada it matches the BC curriculum for Grade 6. Every PDF prints on US letter paper, with the answer key on page 2 for quick checking. Before printing, try the Central Idea video lesson, then print a sheet while it is fresh.

Tips for parents

• Ask your child to spot the skill in their own recent writing and revise one paragraph.
• Praise effort and careful checking as much as a perfect score.
• Ask your child to explain why an answer is right, not just what it is.