Using Question Words to Learn More About a Story
Using Question Words to Learn More About a Story Objective: Students will be able to recognize and use question words (who, what, when, where, why, how) to ask and answer questions about a story or text.
Learning Objectives
- Identify question words in spoken and written language.
- Formulate questions using who, what, when, where, why, and how.
- Answer questions correctly based on a story or text.
Materials Needed
- Children’s storybook or short passage suitable for 8-year-olds
- Worksheet with question word prompts
- Pencils or crayons
Key Vocabulary
- Who
- A question word used to ask about a person or people.
- What
- A question word used to ask about things or actions.
- When
- A question word used to ask about time.
- Where
- A question word used to ask about a place or location.
- Why
- A question word used to ask for a reason or explanation.
- How
- A question word used to ask about the way something happens or is done.
Detailed Activities
Introduction to Question Words
- Read aloud a short story or passage to the student.
- Explain that question words help us learn more about stories by asking questions.
- Show flashcards or write the question words on paper and discuss their meanings.
- Ask the student to repeat each question word aloud.
Practice Asking Questions
- Reread the story or passage together.
- Model asking questions using each question word (e.g., Who is the main character? Where does the story take place?).
- Encourage the student to ask their own questions using the question words.
- Write down the questions the student creates.
Answering Questions Worksheet
- Provide the student with a worksheet that has question word prompts related to the story.
- Have the student answer each question in complete sentences.
- Review the answers together and provide gentle corrections if needed.
- Praise the student for using question words and complete answers.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- Encourage your child to use question words during everyday conversations to reinforce the lesson.
- If your child struggles with forming questions, model questions frequently and provide choices to select from.
- Keep the reading material engaging and at your child’s interest level to maintain attention.
Assessment Questions
- Can you tell me who was in the story?
- What happened in the story?
- Where did the story take place?
- When did the story happen?
- Why did the character do that?
- How did the story end?
Extension Ideas
- Have your child write a short story and create their own questions using the question words.
- Play a question word game where you take turns asking and answering questions about favorite movies or events.
- Use pictures from magazines or books and ask your child to form questions about the images using the question words.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try using simple, everyday examples and relate the question words to things your child already knows. Repetition and modeling will help build understanding over time.
Encourage your child to use full sentences by gently prompting them with sentence starters, such as ‘The answer is…’ or ‘I think… because…’.
Absolutely. Taking breaks or revisiting concepts multiple times helps reinforce learning, especially when teaching new language skills.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students may confuse question words or use them incorrectly in sentences.
- Some children might only answer questions without asking their own.
- Students might answer with one word instead of full sentences.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Provide question word flashcards with pictures to support understanding.
- Use yes/no questions first before moving to question words.
- Allow the student to answer orally before writing answers.
For Advanced Students:
- Challenge the student to write their own story and create multiple questions using different question words.
- Encourage the student to explain why certain questions are important to understand the story better.
- Introduce more complex question words like ‘which’ or ‘whose’ as a next step.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend extra time on the introduction if the child is unfamiliar with question words.
- Move at a comfortable pace, ensuring the child understands before moving on.
- Use short breaks if needed to maintain focus during the 45-minute lesson.
Standards
- 1.L.2d — undefined
Printable Worksheet
Plan Your Own Lesson
Looking for a custom lesson plan? Try our Lesson Planning Generator — create standards-based plans for any topic, instantly!
Common Core Aligned Lesson Plans
Looking for another common core lesson? See all of the lesson plans here.
More Free Lesson Plans
We’re adding more every week! Check back soon or explore all our lesson plans here.
Leave a Reply