Question Stems

If we want to take our students to deeper levels of

comprehension, it is important for us to plan in 

advance to ask higher level questions, and to 

encourage conversations that utilize critical thinking skills.

I sat with a group of dedicated 3rd grade teachers
today who created question stems to encourage
their students during interactive read-alouds.
Here are some of them:

What are some possible events from the past that
would influence the characters' decisions?

Would you have made the same decision?  Why/Why Not?

If _______ happened, what might the ending have been?

The information in this section suggests what?

Based on what the characters have done so far, what might happen next?

In what ways is _______ important to the text?

Go ahead.
Help yourself.
You KNOW you want to use at least one of them!
Then again, why stop at just one?