Questions to Ask About Your Child's Reading at Home
Before Reading (Building Context & Predictions)
What do you think this book or chapter will be about based on the cover and title?
What do you already know about this topic?
Why do you want to read this story, or what are you wondering about before you start?
Is this book make-believe or real? How do you know?
During Reading (Monitoring Understanding)
What has happened in the story so far?
Why do you think the character made that choice?
How is the character feeling right now, and how do you know?
What do you predict will happen next, and what clues in the text make you think that?
Does this story remind you of something that happened to you or another book you have read?
What words are tricky or new to you, and what do you think they mean from the context?
After Reading (Deepening & Analyzing)
What was the main idea or the story mostly about in a few sentences?
Who were the main characters, and how did they change from the beginning to the end of the story?
What was the main problem, and how was it solved?
What lesson or big idea was the author trying to share?
If you could change the ending or write an alternate path for the character, what would you do?
Tips for Asking Questions
Keep it conversational: Avoid turning reading time into a strict quiz. Ask naturally as a fellow reader sharing interest in the book.
Ask "Why" and "How": Push past simple "yes or no" or basic recall questions by asking them to point to specific parts of the page that prove their answer.
Support Nonfiction Too: If they are reading informational or science/social studies texts, ask them to find key facts, use the bold words or headings, and explain a new concept in their own words.
You can explore more strategies and tracking tools through the Reading Rockets Guide to Comprehension or check out story-time prompts from Scholastic Parents.