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This Reading Mama

FREE Discussion Questions for Fiction and Nonfiction

By thisreadingmama 2 Comments

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.

FREE Discussion Questions for fiction and nonfiction texts - This Reading Mama

*This post contains affiliate links.

 

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.

using discussion questions for reading journal prompts

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!

FREE Easter Egg Discussion Questions for fiction and nonfiction

  • 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 by Becky Spence

  • 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

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Filed Under: Comprehension Tagged With: RC

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Comments

  1. Isabel says

    March 19, 2019 at 1:37 am

    I am not able to download this awesome resource. Is there another way I can access it?

    Reply
    • thisreadingmama says

      March 21, 2019 at 1:49 pm

      The link has been fixed. 🙂

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Becky, a homeschooling mama with 4 blessings who keep me on my toes {and knees}. Before homeschooling, I was a classroom teacher (M.Ed.) and reading tutor. Read more about me here.

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