Reading Framework, Question Stems, and Discussion Starters
"On My Own"
What is your opinion of ___?
What do you know of ___?
Do you know someone like ___?
What sources could you use to find further information about ___?
How would you feel if __________?
"Right There"
Literal Comprehension ("Just the facts, Ma'am)
Who is...?
What is...?
Where is...?
How many...?
What are you being asked to find?
Give me an example of...
Show me where in the text the author states that...
Show me in the text what made you think that...
Which sentence in this text supports the conclusion that _____?
Cause and Effect
What reason does the author give for...
"Putting It Together"
Compare and Contrast
How are ___ and ___ alike?
How are ___ and ___ different?
These two texts have the same topic. How do the authors present the topic differently?
Cause and Effect
List three reasons why_____?
Illustrate how ___ works.
Identifying Important Facts and Details
What repeated words or images does the text contain?
Repetition of the word _____ suggests...
Which words or phrases help develop the idea that __________?
What sources does the author use to support
Rhetorical Approach
Which words from the text show that it is written in _____ person?
Summarization and Inferring Main Idea
Paragraph _____ is mostly about…
What key words would you include in your summary of paragraph _____?
What is the main idea of paragraph _____?
Summarize paragraph _____ in one sentence.
Which question is best answered by information in paragraph _____?
What is the main idea in sentences ___ to ___?
The topics of paragraphs _____ to _____ are…
What is the main idea of paragraphs _____ to _____?
The topic of this text is…
What are the main ideas of the text?
Summarize the text in your own words.
What are the pros and cons of ...?
The author titled this text "___" most likely because...
A possible or alternative title for text is __________ because…
Draw a [chart, map, diagram, illustration, etc.] to show...
Construct a pictorial time-line that summarizes the text.
Application
The information in this text would be useful for...
From the information given, develop a set of instructions for...
Rhetorical Purpose
Why is paragraph ___ important in this text?
Why are paragraphs _____ and _____ important?
Inferring and analyzing text structure (how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text relate to each other and the whole).
What transition words are used to connect ideas in the text?
How does the author organize paragraphs _____ through _____?
How does the author organize the passage?
Scan through the text. Is it organized chronologically, by cause-effect, compare-contrast, or problem-solution?
Using vocabulary in context to infer meaning
Are there any clues around the word ___ that can help determine its meaning?
Which word or words in paragraph _____ help the reader understand what _____ means?
In paragraph _____ of the text, what does the word _____ mean?
The word ___ as used in the text, can best be defined as…
Explain what the author was trying to convey in the phrase ___________________.
Text Features
How does the [chart, diagram, illustration, etc.] add to the text?
Which words or phrases are underlined, in bold, or in italics?
"Author and Me"
Inferring Tone
The tone of paragraph _____ is _____ because the author uses words and phrases such as ...
The author's use of words such as ____, ____, and ____ reveal a _____ tone.
In paragraphs __ to __, what is the author’s tone?
What does the author probably think about ___?
The author’s attitude towards ___ suggests…
Cause and Effect
Predict what will happen to ___ when ___ is changed.
Explain what must have happened when...
Using word analysis to infer meaning
What parts of the word ___ do you know?
Are there any familiar parts in the word ___ that you can use to help you figure out its meaning?
What is the root for the word in paragraph _____ that means ____?
Using vocabulary knowledge and vocabulary in context to infer meaning
Without changing the meaning of the text, which word can best be used to replace the word _____?
What word or phrase means the opposite of _____ as used in paragraph _____?
Do you know any other words that are similar to the word ___?
Using background knowledge to make text-to-world, text-to-text, and text-to-self connections
What does _________ allude to?
As you read this text, did anything remind you of your own life?
How did thinking about what you already know about _____ help you understand this text?
Using external resources (dictionary, glossary, thesaurus) to infer meaning
Read the dictionary entry for the word _____. Which definition represents the meaning of the word _____ as used in paragraph _____?
Compare and Contrast
What details did this text include that were not in the other text?
Summarization
What did this text teach you about ___?
From the information given, develop a set of instructions to...
Application
How could you use this information in your life?
How does this information relate to other classes you have taken?
The information in this text would be useful for...
Perspective and Audience
What other ways could ___ be interpreted?
How might the text be different if it was written by an author of a different background (e.g. sex, race, class)?
Who might be the intended audience of this text? Why?
How would you rewrite the selection from ___s point of view?
Inferring Arguments and Assumptions
With which statements would the author most likely agree?
What quote from the text would you use to support the statement that...?
What questions about the topic does the text leave unanswered?
Why do you think the author added the detail that...?
What additional evidence or reasons could the author have used?
The author uses the sentence ___ to show that...
The text suggests ___ is/are…
What additional information is needed to [answer, solve, etc.]...?
Draw a graph, map, or picture that might help a reader better understand the text.
How do the headings and bold text help you understand what you are reading?
Rhetorical Approach
Who is the intended audience of this text?
Why did the author write this text?
The purpose of this text is to…
In paragraph _____, the author writes ___ to help the reader understand...
What was the author's purpose in alluding to _____ in the text?
What does the author assume about the reader with the phrase "_____"?
Why do you think the author wrote this text in the _____ person?
Are there any sentences in the text that should be removed and why?
What strategy does the author use at the beginning of this selection to create interest and to encourage readers to continue reading?
How could you change the first paragraph to better engage the reader?
How do you know if the source of the text is reliable and is providing valid information?
The overall style of the writing is…
Why do you think the author used this particular style for his or her writing?
Is the text in Standard English and how do you know?
What parts of this text make it formal or informal?
What would be a more formal way of presenting the information in this text?
Apply metacognition and reading strategies to improve understanding
I don't understand the word _____ because...
What do you see in your mind when you read the word _____?
The images created in my mind when I read paragraph ___ are of...
Rereading paragraph ___ will help readers gain a deeper understanding of the text because...
How can you best remember what this article is about?
After reading the title, what should the average reader expect to learn from this text?
To understand more about ________, the reader should ask...
Some questions a reader may have while reading this text are...
If a reader does not know the meaning of ________, he or she should....
Reader Response
What does ___ remind you of?
The imagery in the sentence "___" appeals to the reader's sense of...?
If you had to choose between ___ and ___, what would you look for?
How might the author have written the text more clearly?
What have you learned from this text?
How does this text make you feel?
How did this text make you feel about this topic?
What questions do you have after reading this text?
What question would you ask the author if he or she were present? How might the author respond?
You would most likely find a text such as this in...
What sources could you use to answer questions the author leaves unanswered?