What is Self-Questioning?
  • Self-questioning is a strategy that involves 
   querying yourself before, during, and after 
   you read to make meaning of text. It is part 
   of active reading. For skilled readers, 
   questioning becomes automatic—they 
   might not even realize they are doing it. 
  What Happens When Students 
      Use Questioning?
  • Before they start reading, skilled readers 
   ask themselves, “What is this about? Why 
   am I reading this?” This helps them be 
   clear on the purpose of reading.
  • During reading, skilled readers ask 
   themselves questions to check their 
   understanding and stay on course. 
  • After reading, they ask questions to 
   recheck and reflect on what they learned.
       How is Questioning 
          Important?
  • Encourages readers to deeply engage 
   with and absorb the meaning of text.    
  • Helps readers tap into and build upon their 
   background knowledge. 
  • Supports the development of other 
   comprehension skills, such as 
   summarizing.
   How Does Questioning Help 
        Students?  
  • Gives students strategies to help them 
   figure out when text does not make sense. 
  • Provides students with the tools they need 
   to tackle confusing or unclear text head on 
   and make sense of it.  
  • Helps students feel less frustrated and 
   become more confident, resourceful 
   readers and learners. 
  How Can I Prepare Students to 
      Use This Practice? 
  • Provide clear explanations about why and 
   how students should ask themselves 
   questions as they read. Model using the 
   three types of questions (literal, inferential, 
   and evaluative). 
  • Give your students lots of opportunities to 
   practice using questioning with many 
   types of texts.