Many parents have a go-to list of questions to ask their kids after they’ve finished a book. “What was your favorite part?” and “Who was your favorite character?” are some of the most popular. And while engaging kids in this type of reflection after they read is great, there are so many more ways to help our kids get even more out of the books they read, just by talking to them.
Before Reading
The books we get the most out of are those that we spend the most time thinking about before, during, and after reading. Before starting a new book, it’s always a good idea for the reader to preview it, think about what they already know about the topic or subject matter, and reflect on why they chose this book (or if they didn’t choose it, determine something about it that they think will interest them).
Questions to ask:
- What do you think the book will be about?
- What do you already know about this topic or subject matter?
- What draws you to this book?
- Based on your preview of the book, why do you think the author wrote it?
During Reading
Once kids dive into a book, it’s important to keep the conversations and reflections going. As they read, you can ask them questions that require them to think actively about the book by making predictions and inferences and evaluating the choices of the characters as they read.
Questions to ask:
- Why do you think the character responded in that way? Would you have done it the same way or differently?
- Have you arrived at the problem yet? If not, have there been any smaller problems at all so far? Have they been solved? If so, how?
- What do you think will happen next based on what you know of the character(s)?
After Reading
It can be tempting to toss aside a book once we finish it, check it off the list, and move on. However, in order to fully digest a book once we’ve finished it, it’s important to do some post-reading reflection. Right after finishing a book is often the time we can get the most out of it.
Questions to ask:
- What did you think of the ending?
- Did the character(s) learn anything important or valuable or did they grow? How so?
- If you had written this book, is there anything you would have done differently in telling the story?
As we so often say, kids learn by example. Show them the cognitive work you do when you read books. Without boring them or talking about content that might be over their heads, talk to them about the books you read, too. Once in a while, share your answers to the questions above, especially in the books that you feel particularly strong about. Talking to them about your favorite books and why you love them will help them to develop a love of books themselves.
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