13 Questions and

Questioning
 When to Ask
• The Right Time and the Right Place
Ø When they must digest relatively long and difficult text
assignments—prereading

Ø When selections are more manageable or when the teacher

is aiming for a broader general understanding of a selection
—postreadingquestions

Ø Many teachers use a mix of prereading questions to guide

students’ reading and postreading question to assess their
understanding and stimulate them to reflect.
 What to Ask
The Relation between Questions and
 Sample Questions and
Answers: “Goldilocks and the
1. Right there:
What were the three bears eating for
breakfast?
Answers: they were eating porridge.
2. Putting it together:
Why was Baby Bear so upset when he
came home?
Answers: Because his breakfast was
gone, his chair was broken, and there
was a stranger sleeping in his bed.
3. Author and You:
What king of a person was goldilocks?
Answer: she was not very nice. She was old.
She was
hungry and tired, and maybe she was lost or
homeless.

4. On Your Own:
Why is it a bad idea to go into a stranger’s
house when
no one is home?
Answers: it is against the law; it is
trespassing. The
 How to ask

• Questioning the author

• Request
• Self-questioning
• Questioning strategies for
English language learners