Art of Questioning:

A Closer Look at the

Levels of
Comprehension
1
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Learning Objectives
At the end of the session, the participants
should be able to:
identify the characteristics of a good
question
formulate questions for all levels of
comprehension
discuss techniques of questioning
realize the importance of enhancing skills in
asking questions

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Priming: The Best Questions Of the
Day

Take a good look at each

photo/picture.
From the photo/picture,
formulate 3 suitable
questions to come up with a
short story.

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 1

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Activity 1

WORKSHEET 1

Read the poem Your World by

Gloria Douglas Johnson, classify
the questions according to the
dimensions of reading.

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 Analysis 1
How did you classify the questions?
Which questions were easy/difficult to
classify? Why?
What did you discover about yourself
in classifying questions?
Why is it important to ask questions?
How can these questions develop
reading comprehension?
What are your insights/realizations
about asking questions?
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WHY ASK
QUESTION
S?

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 We are using questions to make
connections: text to text, text to self, and
text to world
We are using questions to make predictions.
We are using questions to make sure we
understand what we have read
Questions strengthen reasoning abilities of
children as well as help them clarify/define
their initial response to the text.

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 Questioning helps us to become better
readers by making us THINK!
Books not discussed lose their value.
(Mortime Adler)
Questions allow us to make sense of the
world. They are the most powerful tools
we have for making decisions and solving
problems, for inventing, changing and
improving our lives as well as the lives of
others. (Jamie McKenzie)

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WHAT
QUESTIONS
SHOULD WE
ASK?

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FIVE LEVELS/DIMENSIONS OF READING
COMPREHENSION (based on Gray, Gates, Smith and
Barett Models)

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 Dimensions of Blooms Taxonomy
Reading

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 REMEMBERING
Can the student recall or remember
information?
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Questions

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Activities and Products

Make a story map showing the main

events of the story.
Make a time line of your typical day.
Make a concept map of the topic.
Write a list of keywords you know about.
What characters were in the story?
Make a chart showing
Make an acrostic poem about
Recite a poem you have learnt.

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 Understanding
Can the student explain ideas and
concepts?
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 The questions require answers that are not
directly stated in the text but are suggested
or implied:
Inferences
Implications
Generalizations
Comparisons and contrasts
Main Idea
Motive Question
ers

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 Cause and effect relationships
Anticipation of events
Prediction of outcomes
Identification of character traits
Identification of emotional reactions
of characters
Identification of motives of
characters
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Questions
Can you explain why?
Can you write in your own words?
How would you explain?
Can you write a brief outline...?
What do you think could have happened next...?
Who do you think...?
What was the main idea...?
Can you clarify?
Can you illustrate?
Does everyone act in the way that .. does?
(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 12)

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Activities and Products
Write in your own words
Cut out, or draw pictures to illustrate a particular event in the story.
Report to the class
Illustrate what you think the main idea may have been.
Make a cartoon strip showing the sequence of events in the story.
Write and perform a play based on the story.
Write a brief outline to explain this story to someone else
Explain why the character solved the problem in this particular way
Write a summary report of the event.
Prepare a flow chart to illustrate the sequence of events.
Make a colouring book.
Paraphrase this chapter in the book.
Retell in your own words.
Outline the main points.

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 Applying
Can the students use the information in a
new way?

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 involves the reader putting
him/herself in the place of the
character; reading is used for some
practical purposes, for values
clarification

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Questions
Put yourself in the place of one of the characters and
tell what you would have done.. ?
What would result if.. ?
Compare and contrast.. ?
What questions would you to find out ?
How would the character solve the similar situation
of.. ?
Put the main character in another story setting, how
would he act?
If you had to plan a vacation for the main character,
where would they go?

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 Activities and Products
Construct a model to demonstrate how it looks or works
Practise a play and perform it for the class
Make a diorama to illustrate an event
Write a diary entry
Make a scrapbook about the area of study.
Prepare invitations for a characters birthday party
Make a topographic map
Take and display a collection of photographs on a particular
topic.
Make up a puzzle or a game about the topic.
Write an explanation about this topic for others.
Dress a doll in national costume.
Make a clay model
Paint a mural using the same materials.
Continue the story

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 Analyzing
Can the students distinguish between the
different parts?

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Questions
What motive does ____ have..?
What conclusions can you draw about..?
What is the relationship between..?
How is ______ related to ..?
What ideas support the fact that..?
What evidence can you find..?
What inferences can you make about..?
What generalizations can be made about ..?
What assumptions do you make about ..?
What is the theme of..?

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 Evaluating
Can the students justify a stand or
decision?

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 It involves the making of personal
judgment on the text by the reader,
usually based on his/her experience:
Evaluation of accuracy
Discrimination of fact and opinion
Recognition of emotionally charged words
Identification of author's purpose, mood,
tone, intent
Evaluation of values presented

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Questions

Compare two characters in the selection.which was a

better personwhy?
Which character would you most like to spend the day
with?
Do you agree with the actions of..?
How could you determine..?
Why was it better that..?
What choice would you have made about..?
How would you explain..?
What data was used to make the conclusion..?
Would it be better if..?
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Activities and Products
Write a letter to the editor
Prepare and conduct a debate
Prepare a list of criteria to judge
Write a persuasive speech arguing for/against
Make a booklet about five rules you see as important.
Convince others.
Form a panel to discuss viewpoints on.
Write a letter to. ..advising on changes needed.
Write a half-yearly report.
Prepare a case to present your view about...
Complete a PMI on
Evaluate the characters actions in the story

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 Creating
Can the students create new
products or points of view?

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 involves coming up with new ideas or
reproducing the text information in
other forms: dramatizing, writing
another ending, writing a letter,
musical interpretation

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QUESTIONS
Can you design a...to...?
Can you see a possible solution to...?
If you had access to all resources, how would you
deal with...?
Why don't you devise your own way to...?
What would happen if ...?
How many ways can you...?
Can you create new and unusual uses for...?
Can you develop a proposal which would...?

(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 14)

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ACTIVITIES AND PRODUCTS
Invent a machine to do a specific task.
Design a robot to do your homework.
Create a new product. Give it a name and plan a marketing
campaign.
Write about your feelings in relation to...
Write a TV show play, puppet show, role play, song or pantomime
about..
Design a new monetary system
Develop a menu for a new restaurant using a variety of healthy
foods
Design a record, book or magazine cover for...
Sell an idea
Devise a way to...
Make up a new language and use it in an example.
Write a jingle to advertise a new product.

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HOW
SHOULD
QUESTION
S BE
ASKED?

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 Simple
Clear
Definite
Relevant
Challenging and though-provoking
Adapted to the age, abilities and
interests of the students
Require an extended response
Use common vocabulary
Properly directed

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 Effective Questioning
should:
Reinforce and promote the learning
objectives
Include staging questions to draw
pupils towards key understanding or to
increase the level of challenge in a
lesson as it proceeds.
Involve all pupils
Engage pupils in thinking for themselves
Promote justification and reasoning

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 Create an atmosphere of trust where pupils
opinions and ideas are valued
Show connections between previous and
new learning
Encourage pupils to speculate and
hypothesize
Encourage pupils to ask as well as to
receive questions
Encourage pupils to listen and respond to
each other as well as to the teacher

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 Questioning Techniques in the
Classroom

Encourage students to ask questions at

any time.
Give adequate consideration to all
questions--never evade a question.
Scatter questions over the entire class.

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 Pose questions
within the ability
of the student to
whom the
question is
addressed.
Ask questions to
the inattentive.
Require students
to give complete
answers.

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 Do not permit frequent
group responses.
Ask open-ended
questions
Avoid asking questions
that can be answered
by guessing.
Use the key words of
questioning--how, why,
when, where, what,
which.

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 Have students speak
loudly so that all may
hear.
Use correct grammar
and terminology.
Keep questions on the
subject.
Write questions in
your lesson plan.

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 APPLICATION

Participants will formulate questions

using the five levels/dimensions of
reading comprehension for the fourth
quarter exam.

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