For example, in the “What In My Bag?” activity, a student would change their next question based on their previous question. Finding answers to our questions often leads to even more questions, which leads to deeper understanding. When we ask good questions, our thinking about something is refined and changes. What is the item used for? Where do you use it? Rather than: Is it an apple?) Students will realize that they will get a better understanding of what the object is if they ask these open-ended questions instead of just randomly trying to ask what the object is.Ĭonnect this activity to real reading. Encourage students to ask open-ended questions to gather clues (ex. Invite students to ask questions about the item in your bag. Show students your bag, but not the item in the bag.
It needs to be something that students would be able to guess. This item could be a comb, toothbrush, a pencil, etc. To use this activity, you will first need to place an ordinary object into a paper bag. << Back to categories INTRODUCING THE QUESTIONING STRATEGY TO STUDENTSĪs with teaching most things, it is helpful to start with the concrete and move toward the abstract.Ī great first activity to use when introducing the questioning strategy is called “What’s In My Bag?” Asking both types of questions will give the reader a well-rounded reading experience. They use evidence from the text, but also draw from the personal experience of the reader. Answers to thick questions can be subject to interpretation. Thick questions, on the other hand, require students to use their own background knowledge to dive deeper. Thin questions are surface-level questions that usually can be answered by looking right in the text. This can be referred to as asking “thin” vs “thick” questions. While reading nonfiction, students may ask themselves questions about what they are learning, the meaning of new vocabulary words, or what the author is trying to teach them.įinally, when teaching the questioning strategy, it is important for students to ask different types of questions that will improve their comprehension. When reading fiction, students tend to ask questions about the characters and events. Readers ask different types of questions depending on the genre that they are reading. In these cases, students may be required to infer their own answers based on the text and their background knowledge. They also may realize that not all of their questions were answered. They ask themselves how their questions were answered and what they have learned from the text.
The purpose of asking questions is to enhance comprehension, therefore, any question that a student asks should stem from the main ideas of the text and not just loosely related to the topic.Īfter reading, students evaluate their questions. We must also help students to ask relevant and logical questions. These clarifying questions help students to self-monitor their comprehension. They may need to clarify a meaning of a word, or seek to understand a confusing part of the story. It is also important for students to stop and ask questions when something they read does not make sense. Monitoring how these questions evolve will increase comprehension. As questions are answered, new questions will arise. While reading, the reader’s questions are constantly evolving. Since each student has different background knowledge, each reader will wonder different things about the text. During reading, students pay attention to clues in the text that spark questions. Before reading, students might ask themselves what the story will be about, what they might learn, or what they already know about the topic. Good readers actively ask questions before, during, and after reading. Why did the character do that? Why did that happen? What would happen if…?) To understand the characters and events better ( ex. What does that word mean? Why is that happening? What I am learning?) Students can ask questions for a variety of reasons: As they read, students will seek answers to their questions for deeper meaning of the text. << Back to categories what you need to know before teaching The Questioning Reading Strategy:Īsking questions will provide students with a purpose for reading.