Answering and Generating Questions

Tina: Do you remember what was happening when we read last week?
Allison: (Pauses) Well, they had to babysit. The mom left the babies.
Tina: Right. How do you think Mandy and Mimi felt about that?
Allison: Well, it didn't really seem like they wanted to babysit. But they did it anyhow.
Tina: I wonder why they decided to do it. Do you have any ideas?
Allison: (Silence.)
Tina: I'm going to reread the section. Listen to find out why the girls decided to babysit the twins. (Reads through the line, "I'd pay you," offered Mrs. Green.)
Allison: That's right! They did it to get money to buy fish.

Why it's important. Good readers ask questions before, during, and after reading. Asking, reflecting on, and answering questions enhances understanding. Encouraging students to ask themselves questions about the text will help them improve their comprehension of the story as well as recall selected elements.

Answering the questions tutors pose and generating their own questions helps children get more out of reading (Armbruster et al., 2001). Questioning helps children:

• Understand the purpose for reading
• Focus their attention on what they are to learn
• Think actively as they read
• Monitor their comprehension
• Review content and relate what they have learned to what they already know

When children ask their own questions about text, they become more aware of their level of comprehension (Armbruster et al., 2001).

How to support your tutee. To support their learning, you can:

• Ask open-ended questions that help students think actively about text
• Share your own questions as you read together
• Help students find clues in the text or use information they already have in their heads to answer questions
• Invite children to keep track of their questions by telling you or by writing them into a notebook or on a sheet of paper

Making and Verifying Predictions