Skill Sample Stems

Ask questions to What seems to be the most important idea?

yourself to make What is confusing me?
meaning of the most What don’t I understand?
important facts or How would I explain this in my own words?
ideas you read or
hear.

Ask questions to What comes to mind when I read (or hear) this?
connect content to What do I already know about this?
what you already Does this contradict something I think I already know?
know. In what ways does this add to or extend what I already
know?

Ask questions to What did the author mean when she wrote _____ ?
clarify and better What do you mean when you say _____ ?
understand the Can you say this in another way?
meaning of a topic What example can you give?
or text How would you summarize _______?

Ask questions to How is _____ similar to _______?

understand the How is _____ different from _____?
relationship What do ____ and ____ have in common?
between two What may have contributed to _____?
different things. What resulted from _____?

Inquire about the What contributes to the significance of ________?

importance or value How might we go about evaluating _______?
of something. What criteria (or standards) could we use to judge
_____?

Express curiosity. I wonder why ________.

How might we ________?
Have you ever thought about _______?

Challenge a What might be an alternative way of thinking?

traditional way of What if _____ ?
thinking about a What’s another way of thinking about_____ ?
topic.

Test new ideas. I am thinking _________. How do others react?

Imagine ___________. How might that play out?
What if ________?

SOURCE: Jackie Walsh, MiddleWeb (5/27/19)

https://www.middleweb.com/40383/