Summarizing
Sticky Notes
Dr. Buckwell
Rereading
Inferring
Visualizing
Slowing Down
Barack Obama
Writing in the Margin
Connecting
What Do
You Wonder?
Self-Questioning
as a Reading Strategy
What are the goals of
this session?
• Understand how self-questioning can
improve reading comprehension
• Identify ways to teach, model, and
practice self-questioning in 4th
period.
• Identify ways to incorporate selfquestioning into subject area
classes.
What do experts say?
Children's writer Madeline L'Engle says, "Readers
sometimes grossly underestimate their own
importance." This is particularly true of less
experienced readers. As developing readers
realize their inner conversation and begin to focus
on their own thoughts and questions, reading takes
on new importance. When readers interact with the
text by thinking about their questions, writing them
down, and pondering answers, they comprehend
at a much deeper level. Classrooms change when
readers begin to believe their thinking matters.
-Stephanie Harvey
How does self-questioning
improve comprehension?
Asking questions:
• Helps readers interact with text.
• Sets a purpose for reading.
• Helps readers clarify missing details.
• Requires readers to go beyond the text.
• May help students anticipate test
questions.
“Questioning is the strategy that propels
readers on. Who, after all, would
continue reading something if they had
no questions about it?”
–Stephanie Harvey
When do we ask questions?
• Before
– Look at cover, titles, features
“I wonder who she is?”
“When does this take place?”
“I wonder what’s going to happen.”
• During
–
–
–
–
“Who is talking here?”
“What does that word mean?”
“Why did ____ do that?”
Why did the author put that in there?
• After
– “I wonder what really happened to___.”
– “What else can I find out about ____?”
What reading TOOLS help with
self-questioning?
• Previewing the Text to form questions
before reading
• Rereading/Reading Ahead to find
answers to clarifying questions
• Marking the Text to record/remember
questions
• Self-Questioning  Self-Monitoring
Does it matter what questions
you ask?
• There ARE dumb questions: Questions
you already know the answer to!
• Answerable
In the
text
In my
head
Not answerable
Another
source
• Clarifying
(simple, helps understand)
Ponderable
(complex answer or none)
Let’s
Self-Question
Article found at:
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/SmallBiz/stor
y?id=6873834&page=1
At your tables, sort your questions.
• Answerable
In the
text
In my
head
Not answerable
Another
source
•Clarifying
(simple, helps understand)
Ponderable
(complex answer or none)
How can I start teaching
self-questioning?
• Model your own questions.
• Ask students what they wonder.
• Encourage them to ask questions.
• “Questions Only” Game
• Start with News Headlines or
Book/Article Titles
Click on
the image
for a video
clip! Skip
ahead to
0:45
seconds!
News Headlines
• Serious:
– Candlelight Tribute Planned at Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
– Hickory Ridge Girls Advance
– Rowan Sherriff Seeks Burglary Suspect
• Funny:
–
–
–
–
–
Local High School Dropouts Cut In Half
Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge
Include your Children When Baking Cookies
What activities help students
ask questions while reading in
4th period?
• Model for students how you ask
questions while reading.
• Read something together and record all
student questions while reading.
• Sort /Label questions (index cards, sticky notes,
chart paper)
• Discuss questions
• Independent Reading:
– Sticky notes
– Margin writing
– Question chart (don’t overuse!)
What activities help students
ask questions while reading in
my subject area?
• Everything from 4th period!
• K-W-L (K-W-L-H)
• Double Entry Journals
I Learned
I Wonder
Leopard seals eat
penguins.
Do they eat the feet?
Sources
• Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies
That Work: Teaching Comprehension for
Understanding and Engagement. Portland:
Stenhouse.
• Tovani, C. (2000). I Read It, But I Don't Get It:
Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent
Readers. Portland: Stenhouse.
• Scholastic Instructor: Questioning the Text
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4111
• www.independenttribune.com
• http://www.guysports.com/humor/jokes/jokes_newspaper_headlines.htm#Unu
sual,_Strange_and_Funny_Newspaper_Headlines_