Too often, we use comprehension questions so unnaturally. Our child finishes a book and we grill her with a barrage of questions: Who was the main character? Where was the setting? What was the problem? The list could go on and on. And don’t get me wrong. I believe kids need to learn these story elements, as they are essential to helping kids determine what’s important.
But what I want to challenge all of us to take it a step deeper. It’s the basis of my article, Struggling Readers Need to Develop “Thoughtful Literacy.” But developing thoughtful literacy isn’t just for struggling readers. It is a goal for all our readers.
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Discussion Questions for Fiction and Nonfiction
It is vitally important that we don’t stop at the surface-level questions. Those are just the tip of the iceberg, my friend! Today, I’m sharing some FREE open-ended discussion questions for BOTH fiction and nonfiction that will spark conversation after kids read. {My FREE download can be found the end of this post.}
Simply print these off onto card stock and laminate for durability. Place them where you can pull them out to give some guidance to a discussion for fiction OR nonfiction texts. Note that the questions are general enough that they will work for almost any text.
While I recommend highly that these be used mainly for oral discussion, they would work wonderfully at a reading center or as a reading journal prompt.
Easter Egg Discussion Questions
And check out this FUN way that we have adapted these discussion questions for Easter!
- Simply print off the question strips of choice {I do not recommend mixing the fiction and nonfiction discussion questions.}
- Place the discussion question strips in your eggs.
- Set them out in your schoolroom or on your kitchen counter.
- After kids read, they can pick an egg, open it up, read the prompt, then answer it.
More Resources You May Enjoy:
- How to Choose “Just Right” Books {includes even more question stems for fiction and nonfiction!}
- 10 Things Struggling Readers Need
- How to Ask Questions to Check Comprehension
- Nonfiction Text Features & Text Structures
- Fiction Story Elements & Text Structure
- Reading Comprehension Strategies Series
- Comprehension Pinterest Board
Download this FREE Printable HERE.
Enjoy teaching!
~Becky
I am not able to download this awesome resource. Is there another way I can access it?
The link has been fixed. 🙂