Introduction to Self-Questioning

What is Self-Questioning?

• Self-questioning is a strategy that involves querying yourself before, during, and after you read to make meaning of text. It is part of active reading. For skilled readers, questioning becomes automatic—they might not even realize they are doing it.

What Happens When Students Use Questioning?

• Before they start reading, skilled readers ask themselves, “What is this about? Why am I reading this?” This helps them be clear on the purpose of reading.

• During reading, skilled readers ask themselves questions to check their understanding and stay on course.

• After reading, they ask questions to recheck and reflect on what they learned.

How is Questioning Important?

• Encourages readers to deeply engage with and absorb the meaning of text.

• Helps readers tap into and build upon their background knowledge.

• Supports the development of other comprehension skills, such as summarizing.

How Does Questioning Help Students?

• Gives students strategies to help them figure out when text does not make sense.

• Provides students with the tools they need to tackle confusing or unclear text head on and make sense of it.

• Helps students feel less frustrated and become more confident, resourceful readers and learners.

How Can I Prepare Students to Use This Practice?

• Provide clear explanations about why and how students should ask themselves questions as they read. Model using the three types of questions (literal, inferential, and evaluative).

• Give your students lots of opportunities to practice using questioning with many types of texts.

Discussion Questions 1

1. In what ways is questioning important for reading literature and informational text?

2. For struggling students, when is it most important for them to apply self-questioning?

3. How do you explain literal, inferential, and evaluative questions to your students?

How Can I Support Students' Use of Questioning?

Use of Evidence-Based Practices

• Provide Clear Explanations• Give Students Strategies and Models • Provide Opportunities for Practice

Differentiated Instruction

• Plan instruction that considers students' readiness, learning needs, and interests.

• Use a range of technology tools to:– engage learners at varying levels – engage learners in multiple ways. – offer students options for demonstrating

understanding and mastery

Teacher-Dependent Ways to Differentiate

• By Content– Different levels of reading or resource materials, reading

buddies, small group instruction, curriculum compacting, multi-level computer programs and Web Quests, audio materials, etc.

• By Product– Activity choice boards, tiered activities, multi-level learning

center tasks, similar readiness groups, choice in group work, varied journal prompts, mixed readiness groups with targeted roles for students, etc.

• By Process– Tiered products, students choose mode of presentation to

demonstrate learning, independent study, varied rubrics, mentorships, interest-based investigations

Student-Dependent Ways to Differentiate

• By Readiness– Options in content, topic, or theme, options in the

tools needed for production, options in methods for engagement

• By Profile– Consideration of gender, culture, learning styles,

strengths, and weaknesses• By Interests

– Identification of background knowledge/gaps in learning, vary amount of direct instruction, and practice, pace of instruction, complexity of activities, and exploration of a topic

Discussion Questions 2

1. What methods do you use to assess your students' self-questioning needs and readiness?

2. Which technology tools do you use to support student self-questioning?

3. What factors do you consider when differentiating instruction?

Activities Before Reading

• Encourage students to ask themselves questions such as the following: – What do I think the text will be about based on

the information I see right away? (headers, type of text, images, etc.)

– What do I already know about the topic? (Draw out their background knowledge.)

– What is my purpose for reading this text?– What do I predict will happen?

Activities During Reading

• Encourage students to self-check by asking themselves:

• Does what I’m reading make sense?• What am I supposed to be learning?• Where am I getting stuck?• How does this relate to what I already

know?

Activities After Reading

• Ask students to share the questions they posed to themselves with each other.

• Encourage students to discuss when and how they posed questions to themselves.

• Identify questions that students can ask themselves to recheck and reflect.

Discussion Questions 3

1. What do you take into account when peers work together in pairs or small groups?

2. What prompts can you use to encourage students to ask themselves questions when reading?

3. In what ways can digital text support students’ self-questioning?

Disclaimer

Awarded through a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Grant

#H327G090004-10, PowerUp What Works was developed by a team of experts in education, technology, differentiated

instruction/UDL, and special education at the Center for Technology Implementation, operated by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in collaboration with the Education Development Center, Inc.

(EDC) and the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST).

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