Questions To Ask While Reading A Book

A valuable reading strategy for elementary students is asking and answering questions about the story they are reading. Asking and answering questions about the story will demonstrate how students are understanding or comprehending the story. But what kind of questions should be asked while reading a book?

Below are a few examples of questions students should be asking themselves or questions you could be asking them to check if students are comprehending a story. Good readers use these questions often while reading. They use these questions before, during, and after reading. All of these questions are generic and can be used for ANY story you are reading in class or for a student who is reading a book independently. 

• Who are the characters? Can you describe them?
• Who is the main character? (the most important character) Who are the minor characters? (the least important characters)
• Do the characters know each other? How do they know each other?
• Who is telling the story? 
• What is happening in the story?
• Where does the story take place? Can you describe the setting in detail?
• What is the main problem in the story and how was it solved?
• Why is there a problem in the story? Did any of the characters cause the problem?
• When did the story take place? Was it happening now, a long time ago, or in the future?
• What kind of genre is this story? What do you know about this type of book?
• Do you have any connections with this story? Do the characters remind you of someone? Have you been to a place like the setting in the story? Have you ever had the same problem the characters are having in the story?
• Can you retell this story in your own words from beginning to end?
• What is this story mostly about?
• Did any of the characters change in the story?
• Can you make some predictions about what you think will happen next in the story? Did any of your prediction become true?
• Do you have any questions or are you still wondering something about the story?
• Have you read another story that was like this one you are reading?
• What was your favorite part of the book and why? 

Asking and answering questions about a story also helps students pay attention to their reading. Questions are a good testing tool to make sure students are comprehending and understanding what they are reading. 

Here are some Book Questions to help students get started. I created a set of questions for elementary students that will go with ANY book. This pack is loaded with questions that will be easy and convenient for you to set up for your students. They questions can be copied, cut apart and placed on a ring.  

These Book Talk questions can be used in a variety of ways. Click the picture below to purchase these questions in my story on Teachers Pay Teachers to copy and print for your own classroom. 

• Place the story questions on a ring. Students use the stack of questions to ask themselves during their independent reading time. 
• Use during small group time. As students take turns reading, have them take turns asking each other questions.
• Use during partner reading time. Students stop along the way and take turns asking each other questions.
• Students can practice writing their answer to each question on paper.
• Send a ring of questions home to help parents ask their child questions about the book they are reading. 

Here is a link to Amazon for rings for binding:

• Rings to bind questions together
• Colored rings

Here are more blog posts I wrote about reading strategies:

• How to Improve Reading Comprehension
• Making Connections
• FREE Ask and Answer Worksheet
• FREE Vocabulary Worksheet
• Cause and Effect Reading Lesson
• Reading Strategies Posters for the Classroom
• Main Idea Center

For more in depth questions to ask students, try Bloom's Taxonomy. I have linked it to Amazon so you can get a better viewing of the item listed below:

• Bloom's Taxonomy Spiral Bound

Thanks for stopping by today!

See you soon,