FREE Discussion Questions for Fiction and Nonfiction

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.

*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.

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