Parent support: questions to support reading comprehension

Questions you could use to support your child whilst reading – Early Years

• What do you think this book is about? Why do you think that?
• What do you think is going to happen now?
• How did that happen?
• Can you think of another word the author could have used?
• What would happen next if you were the author?
• Why do you think that happened?
• What would the next book look like?
• Has that ever happened to you?

Questions you could use to support your child whilst reading – KS1

• How do you know what the main character is thinking/feeling?
• What words tell us about the setting of the story?
• Why do you think XXX decided to do that?
• Why do you think those words are in italics/bold/large? What is the author trying to tell us?
• What do you think the solution is?
• What are the main points of the story?
• What is your prediction about the next part of the story based on what you have already read?
• What was your favourite sentence? Why?
• If you were the author, what would you improve?

Questions you could use to support your child whilst reading – KS2

• When does the author explore the emotions of the characters?
• As a reader, what can you tell about the author’s style?
• What does the tone of the character’s voice reveal?
• The author uses XXX. What are they trying to show us?
• Can you surmise what the inner thoughts of the character are?
• Where in the text does the majority of the action take place? How do you know?
• What evidence can you find to prove XXX?
• How is the author’s viewpoint revealed?
• What is the writers intended impact at this point in the story?