Asking questions is under-rated! If you have a child who asks questions, encourage it and foster it. If they are conditioned to wonder about things it will make their school experience all the more rich and rewarding. A child who asks questions is engaged. Engagement is the most important thing for learning to occur (in my handbook). So the next time your child comes home from school (whether it be pre-school or college) instead of asking them what they learned that day, ask them if they asked a good question today!
Speaking of questions, here are some ideas for using questioning to engage your early reader.
ASKING QUESTIONS:
- Questioning before, during and after reading does many things for the reader including
- Promotes curiosity and engagement
- Encourages Wonder
- Uses Imagination
- Grows a critical reader
Steps to Using Questioning with your Reader:
Look at the cover of the book together, noticing as many details as possible. Ask what questions they may have in looking at the cover. Generate some yourself such as “I wonder what happens to the girl on the cover.”, “ I wonder why she is holding books and pulling a wagon.”, “I wonder why people risk their lives to climb Mount Everest.” “I wonder what the problem in this story will be.” etc…
Encourage your child to stop and wonder during reading, asking as many questions as they may wonder. Jump in and do this yourself.
Think about what questions you may ask the author about the book.
Remember, some questions will be answered, some will not.