“Mom why is the grass green?”   “How did I get a cavity?”   “What does aggravate mean?” We all asked tons of questions as kids. Some could be answered easily. Some were tough and needed extra sources of information. Sometimes we were told, “I don’t know. Go ask _______________.” You fill in the blank.

The point is that questioning is good! It’s how we try to make sense of the world around us. It’s how we learn! Well then, it is only fitting that questioning is an important skill for good readers. Most of us ask questions before, during, and after we read something without even realizing it. For example, imagine sitting at home surfing the internet or reading from a magazine or newspaper. You read the following headline: “Community Protests Woman Owning Baboons.” You may first wonder where she lives, why she owns baboons and how many she owns. Then, as you’re reading you might read that this woman has spent much time and money on these animals and you may wonder how much it costs to keep them and what she feeds them. After you have finished reading the story you may wonder if the community is justified in their protest and how you might feel if you lived next door to a baboon backyard.

The common phrase in all of the questioning above is “I wonder.”  

Readers who use the phrase “I wonder” often when reading become stronger readers. Studies show that student-generated questions lead to improved comprehension, focus and motivation.* Think about it, if you are reading something, whether it be a science topic or a short story, if you never have any questions, why would you care about continuing to read?

Try this on your own:

Young readers:

• Read aloud to a more experienced reader and before, during, and after you read, ask at least three “I wonder” questions.
• If the child is too young to read aloud, there is nothing more powerful than an older reader modeling this type of thinking. Read to the child and stop periodically to ask “I wonder” questions. Sometimes the questions have answers that are in your head or in another book.   Sometimes they don’t have a definite answer. (That’s okay and kids need to see that you can still keep reading even though it wasn’t answered!)

All readers:

Examples of “I wonder” questions from fiction:

I wonder what will happen next? I wonder why that character did that? I wonder why the author writes in that way? I wonder what the point of this story is? Examples of “I wonder” questions from non-fiction: I wonder why all birds don’t migrate south in the winter? I wonder why Hitler hated Jews? I wonder how pollution affects our local community? I wonder what responsibilities the Queen of England has? Keep questioning as you read!

*From Harvey, Stephanie and Goudvis, Anne.   Strategies that Work.   Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding .   ( Stenhouse Publishers, 2000).