Comprehension Questions

Before Reading

  • What do you think this book will be about?

  • What is the title of the story? What clues does the title give you about the story?

  • What do you think will happen in the story? What gave you that idea?


*With picture books, it can help students to preview the story by doing a ." Start at the beginning and name what you see happening. "As the reader flips through the pages of the book they are activating their prior knowledge, creating interest in the book, and they are encouraged to predict what will happen in the book."

During Reading

  • After your child stops reading, ask what they think will happen next? (If you remember to, ask them if their prediction came true!)

  • What type of person is the character? What's a character trait to describe them?

  • Do you think you're similar to the character? Why or why not? What would you have done if you were the character?

  • What pictures are you seeing in your mind while you read?

  • What's the main problem in the story? Or what does the main character want?

After Reading

  • Can you retell the story in big steps across your fingers?

  • What is the most important thing that happened in the story?

  • Why do you think the author wrote the story?

  • What do you think the story is teaching you?

  • Can you think of another story/character that is like this story/character?

  • Can you think of another story/character that is really different from this story/character?