Questions to Support Your Child's Understanding and Engagement
Plot
- What has happened in the story so far?
- What do you think will happen next?
- Is the plot fast or slow moving?
- Find some evidence in the text, which supports your view.
- If the author had included another paragraph before the story started what do you think it would say?
Character
- Who is your favourite character?
- Why?
- Who is the character you like least?
- Why?
- Do you think the author intended you to like / dislike this character?
- How do you know?
- Does your opinion of this character change during the story?
- How?
- Why?
- Find two things the author wrote about this character that made him / her likeable?
- If you met one of the characters from the story, what would you say to him / her?
Reader's Opinion
- Which part of the story is your favourite / least favourite?
- Why?
- Would you change any part of the story?
- How?
- Would you change any of the characters?
- How?
- Which part of the story was the funniest/scariest/ saddest/ happiest?
- Find some evidence in the text to support your opinion.
- Did this book make you laugh?
- Can you explain what was funny and why?
Purpose
- What is the purpose of this book?
- How do you know?
Layout
- Why is this page laid out in this way?
- Could you improve it?
- Pick three favourite words or phrases from this chapter.
- Can you explain why you chose them?
Setting
- Find two sentences which describe the setting.
Author and Genre
- Have you read anything else by this author?
- Is anything similar?
- Does this book remind you of anything else?
- How?
- When do you think this book was written?
- How do you know?
- Does it matter?
- What would it be like if it was written now?
- Do you think the title of the book is appropriate?
- What would you have called it?
- What is the genre of the book: sci-fi, mystery, historical, fantasy, adventure, horror, comedy? What are the features that make you think this?
- Would you like to read another book by this author?
- Why/ why not?