Grade: Kindergarten Subject: English Language Arts Unit: Read-Aloud Comprehension SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Answering Story Questions

Good readers ask questions! Learn to use the 5 W's - Who, What, Where, When, and Why - to understand and remember stories better.

Asking Questions About Stories

Questions Help Us Understand!

When we read or listen to a story, we can ask questions to help us understand it better. The best questions start with special words called the 5 W's!

Meet the 5 W's

These special question words help us learn everything about a story:

👤
Who?
Asks about people or animals
❓
What?
Asks about things that happen
📍
Where?
Asks about places
🕐
When?
Asks about time
🤔
Why?
Asks about reasons
Remember: When you hear or read a story, think about the 5 W's! This helps you remember what happened.

The 5 W Questions Explained

WHO?

Who is in the story?

This question asks about the characters - the people or animals in the story.

Example: "Who baked the cookies?" - Answer: "Grandma baked the cookies."
WHAT?

What happened in the story?

This question asks about actions and events - the things that happen.

Example: "What did the dog find?" - Answer: "The dog found a bone."
WHERE?

Where did it happen?

This question asks about places - where things take place in the story.

Example: "Where did the bear sleep?" - Answer: "The bear slept in a cave."
WHEN?

When did it happen?

This question asks about time - morning, night, yesterday, or seasons.

Example: "When did the rooster crow?" - Answer: "The rooster crowed in the morning."
WHY?

Why did it happen?

This question asks about reasons - why characters do things.

Example: "Why was the girl sad?" - Answer: "The girl was sad because she lost her toy."

The 5 W's Song (Sing to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle")

Who and What and Where and When,
Why is how we ask again!
Who are the friends inside the book?
What did they do? Let's take a look!
Where and When did it take place?
Why did they smile upon their face?

Story Time: The Little Red Bird

Let's read a story together, then answer some questions about it!

The Little Red Bird

🐦🌳☀️

One sunny morning, a little red bird named Ruby woke up in her nest high up in a big oak tree.

"I'm hungry!" said Ruby. She flew down to the garden to find some seeds for breakfast.

In the garden, Ruby met a friendly squirrel named Sam. "Good morning, Ruby!" said Sam. "Would you like some of my acorns?"

"Thank you, Sam!" said Ruby. "But birds like seeds better than acorns." Ruby found lots of yummy sunflower seeds and ate until her tummy was full.

Then Ruby flew back to her nest and sang a happy song. She was thankful for her friend Sam and her delicious breakfast!

🐦🐿️🌻

Story Questions

Now let's answer questions about "The Little Red Bird." Think carefully about the story!

WHO Who is the main character in the story?

WHERE Where did Ruby live?

WHEN When did Ruby wake up?

WHAT What did Ruby eat for breakfast?

WHY Why did Ruby fly to the garden?

WHO Who did Ruby meet in the garden?

Practice: Identify the Question Type

What kind of question is being asked? Click on WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, or WHY!

"Where did the princess live?"

"Who helped the farmer?"

"What did the boy find in the box?"

"When did the party start?"

"Why was the puppy sad?"

More Practice Stories

Read each mini-story and answer the question!

Mini Story 1

Lily the ladybug flew to the flower garden on a warm summer day. She wanted to find a pretty red flower to rest on.

WHERE Where did Lily fly to?

Mini Story 2

Max the mouse was looking for cheese. He searched in the kitchen and found a big piece of cheddar behind the refrigerator!

WHAT What was Max looking for?

Mini Story 3

At bedtime, Grandpa read a story to Emma. She loved listening to his voice. Soon, Emma fell asleep with a smile on her face.

WHO Who read a story to Emma?

Fun Activities

Activity 1: Question Time Game

Play this game with a partner or grown-up after reading any story!

  1. One person asks a WHO question about the story
  2. The other person answers it
  3. Take turns asking WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHY questions
  4. See if you can ask all 5 types of questions!

Activity 2: Question Detective

Become a question detective!

  1. Listen to your teacher or parent read a short story
  2. When the story is done, close your eyes and think
  3. Try to remember: WHO was in the story? WHAT did they do?
  4. Share your answers and check if you were right!

Activity 3: Make Your Own Questions

Look at a picture book and make up questions!

  1. Point to a character and ask "WHO is this?"
  2. Point to a place and ask "WHERE are they?"
  3. Point to an action and ask "WHAT are they doing?"
  4. Ask your grown-up to answer your questions!

Build a Question!

Click on a question word to see what kind of question you can make:

Click a word to see an example question!

Check Your Understanding

What do the 5 W's stand for?

Which question word asks about PLACES?

Which question word asks about PEOPLE or ANIMALS?

What We Learned

❓

5 W Questions

Who, What, Where, When, Why help us understand stories.

👤

WHO

Asks about the people or animals in the story.

📋

WHAT

Asks about what happened in the story.

📍

WHERE

Asks about the places in the story.

🕐

WHEN

Asks about the time things happened.

🤔

WHY

Asks about the reasons things happened.

Great Job! Now you know how to ask and answer questions about stories. Keep practicing with every book you read or story you hear!

Next Steps

  • Practice asking 5 W questions with every story you hear
  • Play the Question Game with family and friends
  • Try to answer questions before looking at the answers
  • When you're ready, move on to the next lesson on letter formation!