Comprehension Strategy: Questioning South Sioux City-Project Life
For use with small group reading instruction-5th grade
Three 30 minute sessions
Objectives:
· Students will learn the difference between thin (factual) questions and thick (inferential) questions.
· Students will gather information and answer questions on a question web.
· Students will be actively involved in monitoring their comprehension as they practice questioning techniques.
Session 1: Introduction to thin and thick questions
1) Introduce the 2 different types of questions: thin or factual questions and thick or inferential questions
· Thin questions have answers that readers can find in the text and they can be answered with a few words or short sentences.
· Thick questions have answers that readers have to think about and come from the reader’s mind. The text should support the answer.
2) Make a list of question words to refer to. Who, what, when, where, why, how, what if, I wonder, etc…
3) Read aloud a section from a short picture book or an excerpt from a longer text. Display a T-Chart with one side labeled thin and the other labeled thick. Come up with questions about the text as a group and write them on the correct side of the T-chart to show what kind of question it is.
4) If it is difficult to write thick questions, change some thin questions into thick questions by rephrasing them.
5) Continue reading the read aloud and have students write thin and thick questions on sticky notes.
6) After reading, students should ask their questions and state if it is a thin or a thick question. The group can then discuss and ‘stick’ the question to the T-chart in the appropriate column.
Session 2: Thin questions
1) Use the T-chart from the previous lesson and review thin and thick questions.
2) Introduce the book that the group will be reading.
3) Model the activity by asking a thin question about the book. Write the thin question in the center of the board or chart paper and circle it. This will make a ‘question web.’
4) Begin reading from the book and when information comes up relating to the question, write it on the chart and circle it. Then connect the information to the question with a line.
5) After reading a few pages, stop and reread the information on the web. Highlight the information that best answers the question.
6) Guide students into writing their own thin question and read on in the text to add information to their webs.
7) After reading the assigned pages, students should highlight the best answers to their question and share it with the group.
Session 3: Thick questions
1) Review the activity and questions from session 2.
2) Do the same activity with thick questions.
3) Model by writing a thick question on chart paper and read a few pages from the book being read. Add relevant information from the book to the web and highlight the best answers to the question.
4) Guide students into writing their own thick question and read on in the text to add information to their webs. Then highlight the best answers.
After this session, students can do this individually as they read and monitor their comprehension. The teacher can assign that each student write one question before reading, one during reading and one after reading. You can be specific on expectations of thin and thick questions. For example, you can assign 1 thin and 2 thick.
Assessment:
By viewing and discussing the question webs, the teacher can see the students understanding of the text and self monitoring skills. The teacher can see if the students are choosing good answers to the questions and also if they are appropriately asking factual and inferential questions.
Differentiated instruction:
Low learners-
· Offer more examples of question starters for thick questions.
· Give a question for them to work on independently rather than producing their own.
· Work with partners or the group to find information to answer individual questions.
Middle learners-
· The lessons are geared to middle learners.
· Work with partners or the group to write questions and find information.
High learners-
· Complete the activities with harder text.
· Use question starters that require higher level thinking to produce.