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Questioning
Description
Questioning is a method of noting one's reactions to a text
while reading. Questioning encourages students to articulate specific issues
while they read.
One way to teach questioning is to model it for students. As the teacher reads aloud with the class, he or she may stop, look up, and ask an obvious question. Then, the teacher can write his or her question on a sticky note and place it at the spot in the text where the question arose. It's important for teachers to show the students how to leave their notes sticking out a little, like bookmarks, to be found later. When the text later answers the questions, readers should write an "A" for "answered" on the note, and place it next to answer. Most importantly, teachers should explain that the text will not answer some of the most vital questions, which will be left open to explore in discussions.
This method is particularly valuable for students who need to organize their
questions. They can mark texts with sticky notes, sort them according to
importance, and then address those questions left unanswered by the author.
Benefits
By noting different kinds of questions – for example, questions about
outcomes, characters, new information, and concepts – students begin
to recognize the underlying structure of a text. Students are then able
to trace issues through a book, exploring the ways that books make complex
arguments about related issues. When students begin tracking the questions
that emerge during their reading, they learn to articulate the inner conversation
they have with the text. Ultimately, questioning helps students to guide
their own explorations of texts, because they learn to generate their own
questions rather than looking to a teacher or parent.
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Bilingual and Intertextual Reading