Asking Questions While Reading
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Good readers ask questions while they read! Asking questions helps you understand the story better and makes reading more fun.
What Does It Mean to Ask Questions While Reading?
Asking questions while reading means wondering about the story as you read. You think about what is happening, why characters do things, and what might happen next.
Types of Questions Good Readers Ask
- Before reading: What will this story be about? What do I already know about this topic?
- During reading: What is happening? Why did the character do that? What will happen next?
- After reading: What did I learn? How did the story end? What was the main idea?
Question Words to Use
Use these words to start your questions:
- Who - asks about people or characters
- What - asks about things or events
- Where - asks about places
- When - asks about time
- Why - asks about reasons
- How - asks about the way something happens
Why Asking Questions Helps
When you ask questions:
- You pay closer attention to the story
- You remember more of what you read
- You understand the story better
- Reading becomes more interesting!
Worked Examples
Example 1: Questions Before Reading
Book Title: "The Lost Puppy"
Good questions to ask before reading:
- What will this story be about?
- Whose puppy got lost?
- Will someone find the puppy?
- Have I ever lost something important?
Example 2: Questions During Reading
Story part: "Mia ran outside without her coat. The snow was falling hard."
Good questions to ask while reading:
- Why did Mia run outside without her coat?
- Is she looking for something?
- Will she get cold?
- What will happen next?
Example 3: Questions After Reading
After finishing a story about a kind dragon:
Good questions to ask after reading:
- What was the main problem in the story?
- How did the dragon help the villagers?
- What lesson did this story teach?
- Would I want to meet this dragon?
Example 4: Using Question Words
Story sentence: "Tom went to the park on Saturday to play with his friend Ben."
Questions using question words:
- Who went to the park? (Tom)
- What did Tom do? (played with Ben)
- Where did Tom go? (the park)
- When did he go? (Saturday)
- Why did Tom go to the park? (to play with his friend)
Example 5: Finding Answers in the Text
Story: "The cat hid under the bed because it was scared of the loud thunder."
Question: Why did the cat hide?
How to find the answer:
Look for the word "because" - it often tells you why!
Answer: The cat hid because it was scared of the loud thunder.
Practice Problems
Read each story part and ask questions!
Problem 1: Book title: "The Magic Treehouse." What question could you ask before reading?
Show Answer
Examples: What is magic about the treehouse? Who lives there? What adventures will happen?
Problem 2: "Sara looked at the empty cookie jar and frowned." What might you wonder?
Show Answer
Examples: Who ate all the cookies? Was Sara hoping to have a cookie? Is she upset?
Problem 3: Ask a "who" question about: "The firefighters rushed to help."
Show Answer
Examples: Who are the firefighters helping? Who called the firefighters?
Problem 4: Ask a "where" question about: "The children played all afternoon."
Show Answer
Examples: Where did the children play? Where are they now?
Problem 5: "The dog wagged its tail and barked happily." Ask a "why" question.
Show Answer
Examples: Why is the dog so happy? Why is the dog barking?
Problem 6: After reading about a boy who learned to ride a bike, what question might you ask?
Show Answer
Examples: How long did it take him to learn? Did he fall? How did he feel when he could finally ride?
Problem 7: "The letter was from Grandma." Ask a "what" question.
Show Answer
Examples: What did Grandma write in the letter? What did the letter say?
Problem 8: "It was time for bed, but Max was not sleepy." What question could you ask?
Show Answer
Examples: What will Max do? Why is Max not sleepy? Will he go to bed anyway?
Problem 9: Ask a "when" question about: "The parade started."
Show Answer
Examples: When did the parade start? When will the parade end?
Problem 10: Ask a "how" question about: "The team won the game."
Show Answer
Examples: How did the team win? How did the players feel?
Check Your Understanding
Question 1: Why should you ask questions while reading?
Show Answer
Asking questions helps you understand the story better, remember more, pay closer attention, and makes reading more interesting!
Question 2: What are the six question words?
Show Answer
Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How
Question 3: When can you ask questions about a story?
Show Answer
You can ask questions before, during, and after reading.
Question 4: How can you find answers to your questions?
Show Answer
Look carefully in the text, pay attention to important words, and think about what the author is telling you.
Next Steps
- Practice: Ask questions every time you read a book
- Keep a list: Write down your questions as you read
- Discuss: Talk about your questions with a friend or family member
- Next Lesson: Learn about making connections to what you read!