The first goal of any good reading program is to get kids reading–every day. The next goal is to help them think about what they’re reading. The easiest way to get them thinking about books is to talk to them about books. So here are 15 questions to help you talk to your kids about their quarantine reading.
Questions That Relate to Reading Curriculum: It never hurts to drop a few school-related hints here and there.
- What is the main character in your book learning about life? How is this lesson changing him/her? (Theme)
- If you had to describe this book using 6 words only, which words would you choose? (Summary)
- If this book were a movie, who would be narrating? A character in the story? An outside narrator? (Point of View)
- What do you think the main character should do next? What do you think the main character actually will do next? (Prediction)
- What is the main character’s goal right now? What is he/she trying to fix, find, or figure out? (Plot)
Questions About Reading Habits: Check in with your kids about their reading habits. A leading deft question is far more effective than a lecture…
- How have you changed as a reader since schools closed?
- How is the reading you do at home different than the reading you did at school?
- What are you learning about yourself as a reader? Are there things you do during quarantine that you’d like to continue doing later?
- What are you missing about in-school reading? Are there ways you can continue talking to your teacher or classmates about your reading?
- What goals do you have for yourself as a reader? What books would you like to read? What is your reading stamina like right now–are you happy with it?
Questions to Prompt Creative Thinking: These out-of-the-box questions will help your kids engage with their books creatively and make tons of inferences along the way.
- Which character from your book would you like to be quarantined with? Why? Which character from your book would you NOT want to be quarantined with? Why?
- Which character in your book is most like yourself? Why do you say so?
- Which of your classmates would enjoy this book?
- How would the main character in your book feel about school closures initially? How would he/she feel two months in?
- If your main character was stuck at home, what would he/she do most of the time? How would this affect his/her relationships with family and friends?
If you’re looking for other ways to keep your kids or students reading during quarantine, check out this 4-week plan for structured, at-home reading.
What are your kids/students reading while staying at home? Do you have any magic questions that get them talking? Share with the rest of us in the comments!
