Talking about what we are
reading is one of the ways we improve our understanding of what we are reading.
Below are questions to use to prompt thoughtful discussion about a story.
Stop
periodically throughout the book -- every few pages or at the end of each
chapter. You don’t need to use all of the questions each time; select one or a
few that you think work well with that particular book, that relate well to
what is happening in the story at the time, or will help with a skill that you
are working on now. Ask follow up questions, such as “Why do you think that?”
You can
also use these questions to discuss movies, and stories that have been told
orally.
What is
happening in the story right now?
What do you
think will happen next? Why?
What
questions do you have about the story so far? (Some questions can be answered
by rereading parts of the book. Others may be answered later in the book. Some
questions may be answered directly. For others, you need to find clues and infer
the answer. Some questions may not be answered by the text at all.)
What do you
know about the characters? (Go beyond physical characteristics, age, etc. to
discuss traits such as kindness, courage, loyalty etc.) How does the author let
you know this about the character?
Reread a
passage that tells something a character has done. Ask: Why do you think the
character has done this? Why do you think that?
Where is
the story set? How does the author tell you about the setting?
When is the
story set? How do you know? What clues does the author give you?
What is the
conflict or problem is this story? How do you think it will be resolved? (or if
you are done with the story: How was it resolved?)
How did the
character change during the story? Did the character learn something or mature
in some way?
What do you
think was good about how this story was written? What do you think could have
been better?
-bb