Reading Focuses and Questions to ask
Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to the text.
- Where does the story take place?
- When did the story take place?
- What did he/she look like?
- Where did he/she live?
- Who are the key characters in the book?
- What happened in the story?
- What kinds of people are in the story?
- What is happening at this point in the story?
- Read the part that tells me………
- Where did you find the information about…..?
Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from text.
- What makes you think that?
- What words give you that impression? Why?
- How do you feel about………? Why?
- Can you explain why………….?
- If you were going to interview this character/author, which questions would you ask?
- What sort of person do you think would use this book? Describe a time when you think they would use it.
- Which parts of the book could help you find the information you need?
- Do you agree with this opinion? Explain your own opinion using the texts to help you?
- At the end of the story, the main character is feeling ……. Does this surprise you? Explain as fully as you can using parts of the story to help you?
- What does this tell you about what ……….was thinking?
- Through whose eyes is the story told?
- Who was the storyteller? How do you know?
- Do you think this is true/untrue? Why do you think this?
- What do you think the ………. is thinking? If it were you what would you be thinking?
- Which is your favourite part? Why? Which bit of the text shows this?
- Predict what you think is going to happen next. Why do you think this?
- Using all the evidence available, can you tell me what you feel about….?
- Who would you like to meet most in the story? Why?
- Can you support your view with evidence?
- What is your opinion? What evidence do you have to support your view?
- Is this a place you could visit? Why/why not?
- How did one of the characters change during the story? Draw a timeline that shows the changes.
Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level.
- Were you surprised by the ending?
- How did you think it would end/should have ended?
- How are the beginning and ending of the story similar?
- What would happen if the order of events was changed?
- What kind of text is this? How do you know? What will it be like? What can I expect of a book of this type?
- List the words that tell you what order to follow eg first, then.
- What is the main event of the story? Why do you think this?
- What is the purpose of the pictures?
- How does the layout help the reader?
- Some of the text is printed on a dark background. What effect do you think the designer wanted to achieve by doing this?
- How does the way the title is written encourage you to read the ……….?
- In the leaflet, how have the different parts of the ………. been made clear?
- What are the lines in the photograph for?
- How do you know the order to follow the information in the text?
- Why have these words been made to stand out?
- Why are these words smaller but still in bold print?
- Why are some words in the glossary printed in italics like this?
- At the end of the story, the author leaves you guessing about what will happen next. What do you think will happen next? Why do you think this?
- Why is this paragraph in bold print?
- What are the subheadings for?
- Why have some of the information been presented as a table?
- What is the purpose of the writing in the boxes?
- What do the arrows show you about the structure of the text?
-
Explain and comment on the writers’ uses of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level.
- I wonder what the writer intended by using these words?
- What do these words mean and why do you think the writer chose them?
- How has the author used adjectives to make this character funny?
- What do the physical descriptions of characters tell us about how they are feeling?
- By writing the line in this way, what effect has the author created?
- What do these words tell you about ………?
- Which word encourages you to read the ………..?
- What does the word scrambled tell you about the way Legs got dressed?
- Why do you think the author has mentioned ……… a lot in the story?
- Explain what you think this phrase adds to the story.
- Why did the author choose this title?
- What is the effect of writing in the past/present tense?
- Why do you think the writer has chosen to use the words ……………………..?
- Why do you think the author has written this sentence in this way?
- Which author’s style did you enjoy the most? Why?
- Do you want to read the rest of the text? How does the writer encourage you to read the rest of the text?
- How do these phrases help to make the description effective?
- How does the author make the …………… appear frightening?
- Which part of the story best describes the setting?
- Which words and /or phrases do this?
Identify and comment on writers’ purposes and viewpoints and the overall effect of the text to the reader.
- Can you think of another story that has a similar theme eg good over evil, weak over strong, wise over foolish?
- I wonder why the writer has decided to…?
- What was in the author’s mind?
- Why did the author choose this setting?
- How would the views put across in these texts affect your views on….?
- What makes this a successful story? What evidence do you have to justify your opinion?
- Could it be better? Is it as good as…..?
- What effect does it have on you as a reader?
- Why do you think the writer wrote that description?
- What is the author trying to tell you about………by writing this section in …….? (eg short lines)
- What was the most exciting part of the story? Explain your answer as fully as you can?
- Which illustrations did you find most useful?
- Do you think that the writer believes that ………… exist? How can you tell that the writer has this opinion?
- What are the main contrasts the poet makes in the third and first parts of the poem?
- What impression of ………..does the first paragraph give you? In what ways is the second paragraph different?
- The texts try to make you care about …………… Which do you think is the most effective? Why?
- What is …………… opinion about …………….?
- If …………… was alive today would he be arguing for ………………?
- What do you think makes this a successful story? Use evidence from the text for your answer?
Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts and literary traditions.
- Do you know another story, which deals with the same issues eg social, cultural, moral issues?
- What would this character think about…….? (Possibly a present-day issue)
- Do you know any more stories like this?
- Have you ever read a book with a similar theme to this one?
- What does this remind you of?
- What does it make you think of?
- Do you know any more stories like this?
- Does this story remind you of any personal experience/something that has happened to you? Describe it.
- Have you ever been in that situation? What happened?
- How would you have felt in the same situation?
- What might you have done instead?
- Can you compare …………. to a person who has frightened you?
- How would you feel if you were treated like ……….? What would you do?
- What do you think would have happened if…………?
- Are there any familiar patterns you notice eg familiar story structure, imagery?
- What kind of text is this? How do you know? What will it be like? What can I expect of a book of this type?
- Many traditional tales have messages. What do you think this story is trying to tell us?
- Which stories have openings like this?
- Do you know any other texts with similar issues or themes?
- Do you know another story with these characters in?
- Can you think of another story where the main character has problems with their family?