A Parent's Guide to Asking Questions

From the desk of Leigh Ann…

Life is an unanswered question, but let’s still believe in the dignity and importance of the question.~ Tennessee Williams

Questions, questions, questions!  Skillful readers ask themselves questions as they read to build understanding.  Often children read and save the questions for the end. To better understand a text readers need to ask questions before, while, and after they read. As a parent you can help your child become a more proficient reader by modeling this process and encouraging your child to use this technique when reading independently.

As our young readers begin, encourage them to examine the book’s cover.  Talk about the title, browse through and discuss the pictures, and make some predictions about what might happen. 

While reading together model questions – “What do you think the problem might be in this story? Often characters have a problem they have to solve.  How do you think they will solve it?”  Encourage children to use prior knowledge (what they know about the world around them) and think about what they would do in a character’s situation. 

After reading on, model how you use evidence from the text to show what the character actually did in the story.  Children love to talk about stories and share their insights.  This practice helps the text become more meaningful and promotes better understanding.

Here is a list of just a few discussion items you might use while reading together:

• Do you think this story is fiction (make-believe) or nonfiction (fact)?
• Describe the character using details from the story.
• Where does the story take place?  Describe the setting.
• Where did that happen?  How do you know?
• Using a picture on a page describe how you think a character feels.
• Why do you think he/she feels like that?
• What was the problem?  Why is that a problem? 
• What would you do if that happened to you?
• What do you think will happen next?

After reading you might ask some of these questions:

• Did the story end the way you predicted?
• What would you have done if you were that character?
• How did the character change throughout the story?
• If you could rename this book, what would you call it?  Why?
• What lesson did this story teach?
• What did you learn from this story?
• Does this story remind you of anything that has ever happened to you?
• How did you feel at the beginning of the story?
• How do you feel at the end of the story?

Reading is so much more than simply decoding and calling words.  We need to help our young ones see that we are reading to gain meaning.  We read for knowledge but also for enjoyment.  To help our children develop a love for reading we need to model good practices and show them how enjoyable reading can be.  The quality time you spend together with good books will help create a lifelong love for reading and a lot of fond memories for your child.