Tips and Ideas
Questions Step
Promoting Accuracy When Answering Questions
Ask students to read the question and answer choices at least twice before they select an answer. As a group or one-on-one, go through the answer choices and eliminate the answers until the student finds the best answer. Only then should students write down their answer.
– From Richard Radke [Strathmore, CA]
If a student gets all of the questions right the first time, put a sticker on the student’s answer sheet that says "Wow!" or "Bravo!" If the student does not achieve 100%, put a question mark next to each incorrect answer. When the students answers all the questions correctly, replace the mark with a sticker.
– From Jenifer Garlitz [Joliet, IL]
Building Comprehension Skills
Ask students to underline information in the story that answers each of the comprehension questions. This process helps students learn that the answers can be found in the text.
– From Gail Orcutt [Iowa]
Students read the questions and circle clue words before reading the story. After they read the story, students tell the main idea and list three supporting details, a process similar to the retell step.
– From Jill Bennett [Albany, TX]
Challenging Mainstream Students
Read Naturally levels 5.6 through 8.0 can be beneficial even to mainstream students without fluency problems. Focus on comprehension questions 8 and 9 which require students to analyze the information in the story and find facts that support a concluding statement. Answering these questions challenges the students while helping them develop skills needed to pass state exams, such as the Pennsylvania Statewide Student Assessment (PSSA) test.
– From Elaine Balum [Danille, PA]
Reading Questions as a Group
For auditory learners whose ongoing self-talk can make it difficult to focus on what they are reading, it’s helpful to have them read the questions first. Expanding on this approach, students can work as a group, taking turns reading the sentences in a Read Naturally story. After each sentence, the teacher can ask the group if there was anything in that sentence that answered the comprehension question. If the answer is "yes," students can highlight and discuss the words that relate to the question.
– From Judy Klein [Humble, TX]
Writing Their Own Questions
After students have passed a Read Naturally story, have them pick a type of question to write (e.g., who, what, why). Students then write and answer their own questions.
Example
Choose one of the following types of questions and circle it:
- Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
- Write a question of the type you picked.
- Write the answer to the question you wrote.