Introduction to Self-Questioning

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Introduction to Self-Questioning
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What is Self-Questioning?

• Self-questioning is a strategy that involves
  querying yourself before, during, and after you
  read to make meaning of text. It is part of
  active reading. For skilled readers, questioning
  becomes automaticthey might not even realize
  they are doing it.

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What Happens When Students Use Questioning?

• Before they start reading, skilled readers ask
  themselves, What is this about? Why am I reading
  this? This helps them be clear on the purpose of
  reading.
• During reading, skilled readers ask themselves
  questions to check their understanding and stay
  on course.
• After reading, they ask questions to recheck and
  reflect on what they learned.

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How is Questioning Important?

• Encourages readers to deeply engage with and
  absorb the meaning of text.
• Helps readers tap into and build upon their
  background knowledge.
• Supports the development of other comprehension
  skills, such as summarizing.

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How Does Questioning Help Students?

• Gives students strategies to help them figure out
  when text does not make sense.
• Provides students with the tools they need to
  tackle confusing or unclear text head on and make
  sense of it.
• Helps students feel less frustrated and become
  more confident, resourceful readers and learners.
  

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How Can I Prepare Students to Use This Practice?

• Provide clear explanations about why and how
  students should ask themselves questions as they
  read. Model using the three types of questions
  (literal, inferential, and evaluative).
• Give your students lots of opportunities to
  practice using questioning with many types of
  texts.

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Discussion Questions 1

1. In what ways is questioning important for reading
   literature and informational text?
2. For struggling students, when is it most
   important for them to apply self-questioning?
3. How do you explain literal, inferential, and
   evaluative questions to your students?

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How Can I Support Students' Use of Questioning?
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Use of Evidence-Based Practices

• Provide Clear Explanations
• Give Students Strategies and Models
• Provide Opportunities for Practice

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Differentiated Instruction

• Plan instruction that considers students'
  readiness, learning needs, and interests.
• Use a range of technology tools to
• engage learners at varying levels
• engage learners in multiple ways.
• offer students options for demonstrating
  understanding and mastery

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Teacher-Dependent Ways to Differentiate

• By Content
• Different levels of reading or resource
  materials, reading buddies, small group
  instruction, curriculum compacting, multi-level
  computer programs and Web Quests, audio
  materials, etc.
• By Product
• Activity choice boards, tiered activities,
  multi-level learning center tasks, similar
  readiness groups, choice in group work, varied
  journal prompts, mixed readiness groups with
  targeted roles for students, etc.
• By Process
• Tiered products, students choose mode of
  presentation to demonstrate learning, independent
  study, varied rubrics, mentorships,
  interest-based investigations

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Student-Dependent Ways to Differentiate

• By Readiness
• Options in content, topic, or theme, options in
  the tools needed for production, options in
  methods for engagement
• By Profile
• Consideration of gender, culture, learning
  styles, strengths, and weaknesses
• By Interests
• Identification of background knowledge/gaps in
  learning, vary amount of direct instruction, and
  practice, pace of instruction, complexity of
  activities, and exploration of a topic

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Discussion Questions 2

• What methods do you use to assess your students'
  self-questioning needs and readiness?
• Which technology tools do you use to support
  student self-questioning?
• What factors do you consider when differentiating
  instruction?

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Activities Before Reading

• Encourage students to ask themselves questions
  such as the following
• What do I think the text will be about based on
  the information I see right away? (headers, type
  of text, images, etc.)
• What do I already know about the topic? (Draw out
  their background knowledge.)
• What is my purpose for reading this text?
• What do I predict will happen?

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Activities During Reading

• Encourage students to self-check by asking
  themselves
• Does what Im reading make sense?
• What am I supposed to be learning?
• Where am I getting stuck?
• How does this relate to what I already know?

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Activities After Reading

• Ask students to share the questions they posed to
  themselves with each other.
• Encourage students to discuss when and how they
  posed questions to themselves.
• Identify questions that students can ask
  themselves to recheck and reflect.

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Discussion Questions 3

1. What do you take into account when peers work
   together in pairs or small groups?
2. What prompts can you use to encourage students to
   ask themselves questions when reading?
3. In what ways can digital text support students
   self-questioning?

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