Levels of Questioning Questioning Questioning the Text What

Levels of Questioning

Questioning § Questioning the Text – What it is: You develop your own literal, inference, and universal questions about the text as you read. – Purpose: Helps you engage more actively with texts, read with greater purpose and focus, and ultimately answer questions and lead your own discussions.

LEVEL 1—LITERAL Questions § Literal/Recall Questions – The answer is in the text; it may be who, what, where, when, how, etc. Something that you can easily go back and find IN the text. Examples: What did the first little pig build his house out of? Who ‘huffed and puffed’?

LEVEL 2—INFERENCE Questions § Inference Questions – Requires you to “go beyond” what is in the text. You have to make inferences (or ‘read between the lines’). The answers are NOT specifically stated in the text. Examples: Why didn’t the little pigs let the wolf in when he knocked? Why would the third little pig be considered the ‘smartest’ of the three pigs?

LEVEL 3—UNIVERSAL Questions § Universal Questions – These questions ask you to make connections between the story and your own life. They go ‘beyond’ the text and create more room for discussion. Examples: Have you ever relied on a sibling to help you out? Explain. Was there ever a time that you felt threatened by someone? What did you do about it?

Questioning § Writing your own questions really shows you UNDERSTAND the story. § Writing your own questions helps you take OWNERSHIP of a discussion. § Really take the time to think about the questions you write—make them meaningful!