Do you read with your child most days? Do you ever ask them questions about the story? As a teacher I find children are generally confident readers but find the comprehension of the text harder. Furthermore, parents often admit that they listen to their children read but rarely ask questions or when they do they find themselves asking the same questions over and over again. In the next section of the blog I have provided a variety of questions which could be asked at different points of the book.
At our small group sessions in Tooting, Earlsfield and Colliers Wood in South London, building reading confidence in reading, focusing on questioning as much as the act of reading at the heart of what we do.
Questions for Key Stage One
Before starting the new book you could ask questions about the book overall:
- Where is the title?
- What do you think will happen in this story? Why do you think that?
- Is this an information (non-fiction) or story (fiction) book? How do we know?
Once you start reading the book you could ask:
- Can you tell me what has happened so far?
- What do you think will happen next?
- What type of character is…, are they kind, rude, happy, miserable, how do we know this?
- How do you think the character feels at this point, how do you know?
- Before reading the next page ask, what can you see happening in this picture?
- What does x word mean? Can you think of another word that means the same?
- Can you find a question mark on this page? Why have they used it here?
- What do you think will happen next?
- How does the character feel? How do you know? (either from the picture or a word in the text is fine)
After you have finished the book you could ask:
- Did you like this book? Why/why not?
- What was the most exciting part of the book, what made it exciting?
- What sort of character was…?
- Why did the character do… (choose a part from the book)?
- What would you do if this was you?
- Have you read a book similar to this? In what was it similar (theme, character, setting)
- Why did the character do a specific action? What would you do?
Questions for Key Stage Two
As children get older, parents often do not ask them to read aloud. It is still vital to hear them read and ask them questions, even if it is a page or two a day. You could also have regular general discussions about the book, ensuring your child develops their own understanding by discussing it with others. Another pitfall for older children is the lack of understanding around new vocabulary. Young children ask their parents what words mean. However, when older children find a new word they do not necessarily look it up or ask the meaning. Instead they use the words around it to put the sentence into context, thus meaning they do not always understand the true meaning or concept of that word.
Before starting the book:
- What type of story do you think this is? Why? (scary, funny, adventure)
- What do you think will happen in the story? What clues did you use to decide this?
- Have you read a book by this author or with this in character before?
- Why did you choose this book?
- What genre is this book, how can you tell?
During the reading of the book:
- What has happened so far?
- Who is your favourite character, why?
- Which character do you least like, why?
- What do you think will happen next, why?
- Can you find evidence in the text that shows that the character is ….?
- Can you find evidence in the text to describe the setting?
- What would you do in this situation?
- Why did the writer repeat this word/phrase?
- Why is this written in bold/italics?
- If you are reading non-fiction books, what facts have you read? Have you learnt anything new? What does this page tell you about? Is there anything that interests you on this page? Where would you go to find information about….?
- How many different types of punctuation can you see on this page? What are they used for?
- What does this word mean? Can you use another word in the same context?
After reading the book:
- What was your favourite/least favourite part of the story, why?
- Which part of the story was the funniest, scariest, saddest, and happiest? Find some evidence in the text to support your opinion.
- What happened in the story?
- What would you have done if you were the character?
- If you met one of the characters what would you ask them, why?
- Does your opinion of the character change in the story? What made it change?
- Does this story remind you of anything else you have read?
- Would you read another book by this author, why?
In conclusion:
Lastly, it is important to remember that reading a book is a very personal experience. It is key that your child chooses their books and understands why they like to read them. This will help them develop a love of reading rather than seeing it as something they have to do. Moreover, evidence shows that the more children read the greater their vocabulary and imagination.
If you have been thinking about how to support your child with reading, you are not alone. Many of the parents we work with felt the same before trying lessons. At Growing Young Minds, we run small group English and Maths lessons in South London where children build confidence, ask questions, and develop stronger understanding over time.
If you would like to see how this works for your child, you are very welcome to try a lesson with our two week trial. Alternatively, you can book a one to one assessment to better understand how to support your child at home.
