Steps to Understand What We Read
Reading comprehension is a journey. These stair step questions may help your child reflect on
their daily reading. Start with asking your child one or two questions from the top stair. As they
progress throughout the school year, feel free to move down the stairs for deeper
understanding.
Name a character in the story.
What is the setting for this story?
Find the words you know.
Tell me one thing you remember from the story.
What was your favorite part in this story?
Tell me something you learned. (non-fiction books)
Retell the story.
How is this story book the same/different from another book you’ve read?
Describe how the main character feels.
Is this book fiction or not fiction? How did you know?
Describe the characters in this story.
How do you connect to this story?
Retell the story with Beginning, Middle and End. (BME)
What was the problem in this story? What was the solution to the problem?
How would you have solved the problem a different way?
Explain the main idea.
If you could change or add something to this story what would it be?
How can you connect to a character in this story? Why?