There are two different types of Queries you can use for both expository and narrative: Initiating or Follow-Up. Initiating Queries start discussions, and awaken students to the notion that an author is putting forth ideas for them to identify (Beck & McKeown, 2006). Follow-Up Queries keep discussions moving along productively and help students elaborate on ideas (Beck & McKeown, 2006). There are also Narrative Text Queries to address the unique aspects of narrative texts.
Initiating Queries
The major goals of Initiating Queries are to make public the messages or ideas presented by an author.
Examples:
Follow-Up Queries
Examples:
Help students see connections:
Encourage students to consider the ideas behind an author's words:
Help students figure out an author's possible reasons for including certain information:
Narrative Text Queries
Examples:
Help students think about character motivation and the "big picture" of where a character is and how he/she got there:
Focus students' thinking on the author's crafting of the plot and characters:
The major goals of Initiating Queries are to make public the messages or ideas presented by an author.
Examples:
- What is the author trying to say here?
- What do you think the author wants us to know?
- What is the author talking about?
- What's the important message in this section?
Follow-Up Queries
Examples:
Help students see connections:
- Does that make sense with what the author told us before?
- How does that fit in with what the author told us?
Encourage students to consider the ideas behind an author's words:
- So what does the author mean right here?
- That's what the author said, but what did the author mean?
Help students figure out an author's possible reasons for including certain information:
- Does the author tell us why?
- Why do you think the author tells us that now?
Narrative Text Queries
Examples:
Help students think about character motivation and the "big picture" of where a character is and how he/she got there:
- How do things look for this character now?
- Given what the author has already told us about this character, what do you think he's up to?
Focus students' thinking on the author's crafting of the plot and characters:
- How has the author let you know that something has changed?
- How has the author worked that out for us?
- How is the author making you feel right now about these characters?
- What is the author telling us with this conversation?
Information Retrieved from:
Beck, I. L., & McKeown, M. G. (2006). Improving comprehension with question the author: A fresh and expanded view of a powerful approach. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
Beck, I. L., & McKeown, M. G. (2006). Improving comprehension with question the author: A fresh and expanded view of a powerful approach. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.