Main Idea vs. Theme

Main Idea is the central idea or the main topic of a story

Main Idea can be anywhere in the story

Sometimes you have too use context clues to find the main idea

The main idea of the Tortoise  and the Hare is....

The Hare and the Tortoise had a race, the Hare was being cocky and stopped because the Tortoise was slow. But the Hare was being so cocky he thought he can lay down, but he fell asleep. He woke up noticing the Tortoise was almost at the finish line. He tried to rush but by a inch the Tortoise had won.

Theme is the lesson or the MORAL of a story

(Moral and Lesson are the same thing)

Ex: The moral of the story, The Tortoise and the Hare is....

Slow and Steady wins the race