From the Title I Team

At GES, our Learning Compact and Plan includes goals for student achievement.  This section of the Paw Prints will be used to share information parents can use to support their children in achieving the goals.  We hope that this information is helpful to you!

GES Goal: To talk to your child about what they read

In previous Paw Prints, we featured reading comprehension questions for Thinking within the Text, designed to help students think about the story itself.  Now we’ll focus on questions for Thinking Beyond the Text,
which help students think about things that are not directly stated in the book. Here are some examples:

1.     During reading: How do you think this book will end?
2.     Can you think of another book that is similar to this one?
3.     How is the character the same in this book as in previous books?
4.     How were the characters feeling in this book?  How do you know?  (For older readers, ask how the dialog tells the reader what the character is feeling or thinking.)
5.     How would you feel if _______________ happened to you?  Would you act/react the same way the character did?
6.     For older readers:  How did the character change in the book?  What caused this?
7.     For older readers:  Has your thinking changed after reading this book?  What in the book caused the change?

These questions give you a start for a book conversation that will help to deepen your child’s understanding of the story.  Once you ask a question or two, your child might have his or her own questions to discuss, and that’s great!  Allow the book discussion with your child to evolve naturally.