Questions to Ask Your Child While Reading
These are questions to ask your child while reading aloud together, written for a parent, grandparent or tutor with a child of about three to nine. They run in the order a book does: the cover before you open it, the pictures, the story as it unfolds, the characters and where they touch the child's own life, new words, then retelling at the end. Each has a note on what a good answer sounds like and what to do with a shrug or a wrong guess, with the age it suits where that matters.
Want questions from the whole vault instead? Try the random question generator.
The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
The cover
What do you think this book is going to be about?
Why ask it
Ask with the cover facing the child and your finger off the title. Any guess built from something they can see counts, such as 'a bear, because there is a bear'. A shrug usually means they want you to go first, so make a silly wrong guess and let them correct you.
What can you see on the cover?
Why ask it
For a three- or four-year-old this is the easier way in, because naming is simpler than predicting. Remember what they named, and point back to it when it turns up in the story.
Listen to the title. What does it make you wonder?
Why ask it
A question back, such as 'Why is he grumpy?', is the best answer you can get, since the child now has a reason to listen. Promise that the book will tell you both, and start reading before the wondering cools.
Where do you think this story happens?
Why ask it
Look for an answer that leans on a clue: snow, tall buildings, a barn. If you get 'in the book', narrow it down by asking whether it looks hot or cold there, or like day or night.
Do you think this is a made-up story or a book about real things?
Why ask it
Animals in clothes point one way and photographs point the other, and plenty of books sit in between. There is no need to settle it now. Check again after a few pages and let the child change their mind.
What do you already know about this?
Why ask it
Meant for information books, so point at the shark, the digger or the moon as you ask. Whatever the child says, true or not, becomes something to check as you read. 'You said diggers can swim, so listen out for that' keeps them hunting for it.
Somebody wrote the words and somebody drew the pictures. Which job would you want?
Why ask it
Point to each name on the cover as you read it out, and use the words author and illustrator while you do. Sometimes one name does both jobs, which is worth saying. If another book by the same person is on the shelf, get it out and see whether the child can spot what the two have in common.
Have we read anything like this before?
Why ask it
Under-fives tend to link books by a single thing, such as 'the other one had a dog too'. That is a real connection, so take it. With an older child, turn it into a guess about how this one might go.
We know this one already. Which part are you waiting for?
Why ask it
Knowing what is coming is the pleasure of a book asked for night after night. The answer tells you which page to slow down on, and on the fortieth reading it is a better opener than a prediction the child cannot get wrong.
Pictures
What is happening in this picture?
Why ask it
Ask before you read the words on the page. Notice whether you get an action, 'she is running away', or a list, 'a girl, a tree'. With a list, follow up by asking what the girl is doing.
Can you find something in the picture that the words did not tell us?
Why ask it
Illustrators often hide a second story in the pictures: a mouse on every page, a cat watching from the roof. If the child finds nothing, find one thing yourself. They will usually take over the hunt for the rest of the book.
Can you point to who is talking on this page?
Why ask it
It checks that the child is tying the words you read to someone in the picture. A very young listener may point at whoever is biggest. Say who you think it is and why, 'the fox, look, her mouth is open', and carry on.
What has changed since the last picture?
Why ask it
Flip back so both pages are fresh. A darker sky, a missing hat or one fewer cookie on the plate is the kind of thing to hunt for. A child who starts spotting these is reading the pictures as a sequence and not one at a time.
What do you think happened just before this picture?
Why ask it
The child has to fill a gap the book left, which is harder than describing what is there, so it suits wordless books and the older end of the range. Anything that could lead to this picture is right. 'He climbed up and now he is stuck' is exactly the kind of answer to hope for.
If you could step inside this picture, what would you hear?
Why ask it
One for a restless listener, because sound effects are welcome as an answer. Try smell or touch on another page. It slows a child down on a picture they were about to flip past.
The story
Who is this story about?
Why ask it
Wait a few pages, until someone has clearly taken the lead. A child may name whoever is funniest or biggest and not the character the story follows, and the test is easy: ask who has been on nearly every page so far. In a book about real things, change it to what the book is about.
What do you think will happen when we turn the page?
Why ask it
Ask with your hand already on the corner, so the answer comes fast. Wrong guesses are worth as much as right ones, because the child is thinking ahead either way. If only the correct ones get praised, the guessing tends to dry up.
Was that what you thought would happen?
Why ask it
The partner to any prediction. A child who says 'no, I thought the dog would eat it' is comparing their own idea with the book, which is the habit you are after. Sound pleased by the surprise, not sorry about the miss.
What is the problem in this story?
Why ask it
Many picture books hand their main character a problem in the first few pages, and 'he lost his hat' is all the answer needs to be. A child who names a detail instead, such as 'it is raining', can be steered with a second question about what the character wants.
Why do you think they did that?
Why ask it
Listen for a 'because' that reaches for what the character wants: 'because he was hungry', 'so she would not get caught'. 'I don't know' is common with little ones. Offer two possible reasons and let them choose.
Can you tell me what has happened so far?
Why ask it
Save this for a natural pause near the middle, not every page. Two or three events in the right order is a solid answer. If all you get is the page you just read, flip back through the pictures and tell it together.
How do you think they are going to fix this?
Why ask it
Ask once the trouble is clear and before the book solves it. Children often suggest what they would do themselves, like telling a grown-up or saying sorry. Hold on to the idea and compare it with what the character actually tries.
Does this part make sense, or should we read it again?
Why ask it
Children rarely stop a reader to say they are lost, so this gives them permission. Rereading a page is no failure. If the child asks for it on most pages, the book may be a notch too hard for now and can wait on the shelf.
What did you just find out that you did not know before?
Why ask it
For books about real things. One fact said back in the child's own words is what you are hoping for. If they repeat the sentence you just read, share what surprised you and ask which bit surprised them.
Is there anything you want to ask about this page?
Why ask it
A child who asks their own questions is doing the job of this entire list. Answer briefly, or say the book might tell you both in a minute. If the answer is always no, wonder about something yourself out loud, such as why the door in the picture is open.
Characters and you
Look at their face. How do you think they feel right now?
Why ask it
A three-year-old may have only happy, sad and mad to offer, and that is plenty to start with. When the child picks one, hand them a closer word alongside it: 'yes, sad, maybe even disappointed'.
How can you tell they feel that way?
Why ask it
You are asking for evidence, though you would never call it that to a five-year-old. Eyebrows, slumped shoulders, tears or something the character said all count. 'Because he is sad' only repeats the answer, so follow it with 'what is his mouth doing?'
They were scared a minute ago and now they are not. What happened?
Why ask it
Swap in whatever feelings your page has. It belongs where the mood turns, for instance when the frightened character starts to laugh. Naming the cause, 'her friend came back', shows the child is tracking the story and not only the page in front of them.
Have you ever felt like that?
Why ask it
Short true stories come out here, so let one run for a minute even though the book has to wait. If the feeling is a hard one and the child goes quiet, do not push. Say you have felt it too and read on.
What would you do if you were in their place?
Why ask it
The answer shows how the child reads the situation, and sometimes how they handle one like it at school. Treat it as an idea and not a promise. 'I would hit him back' is an opening to ask what might happen next, not a cue for a lecture.
Was that a kind thing to do?
Why ask it
Children tend to have strong views on fairness, and book characters are safe people to judge. Follow a 'no' with 'what could he have done instead?' and hold back the lesson yourself. It lands better when the child is the one who says it.
Has anything like this ever happened to you?
Why ask it
It works when the book is about something a child may have lived through: a lost toy, a new baby, a first day somewhere. A link that seems thin to you, like 'I have a red coat too', still counts, because the child is putting themselves in the book.
Does anyone in this book remind you of someone we know?
Why ask it
Be ready for honesty, since the grumpy one may turn out to be Grandpa. Ask what the two have in common. It is an early way of describing a character by how they act and not by how they look.
Who in this story would you want as a friend?
Why ask it
The reason matters more than the name. 'She is funny', 'he shares' and 'he has a dog' are three quite different answers, and each is a small glimpse of what your child likes in other children at the moment.
What do you think they are thinking but not saying?
Why ask it
A stretch, best kept for the older end of the range and for a page where a character says one thing while their face says another. A child who only repeats what was said out loud is not there yet, and nothing is wrong.
Words
Do you know what that word means?
Why ask it
Keep it to one or two words a book, and choose ones the child will meet again, such as 'enormous' or 'worried'. If they do not know, hunt for a clue in the picture together before you tell them. Then read the sentence again so the word settles back into the story.
Was there a word on that page you had not heard before?
Why ask it
A younger child will often say no, having sailed straight past the word without noticing it. When one is named, it is a word that was getting in the way of the story for this child, which a word you picked may not have been. Let them guess what it means first, and call a wrong guess that fits the page good work before you give the real meaning.
Can you show me that word with your face or your body?
Why ask it
Made for words like 'tiptoe', 'scowl' and 'shiver'. Acting it out takes ten seconds, gives a wiggly child a reason to move, and shows you at a glance whether they understood.
Did you hear two words that sound alike?
Why ask it
Save it for a rhyming book and a second reading: stop just before the rhyme and let the child shout the word. A four-year-old who cannot explain what a rhyme is but fills the gap is hearing it all the same.
Where should I start reading on this page?
Why ask it
Before a child can read, this shows whether they know that the words, and not the picture, are what you are reading. Look for a finger on the print, near the top. If it lands on the picture, make nothing of it and run your own finger under the first line as you read.
Can you find a word on this page that you can read yourself?
Why ask it
For a child who has just started reading, and the choice is theirs: their own initial, 'the' or a name from the story are all wins. Schools teach early reading in different ways, so ask the teacher which sounds or words the class is working on and look for those. Drop it the moment story time starts to feel like a test.
Which word in this book is the most fun to say?
Why ask it
A question with no right answer, for the child who has had enough of being asked what words mean. Say the winner together in a giant's voice, then a mouse's. A word enjoyed like this has a way of turning up again at dinner.
The end
Can you tell me the story from the beginning?
Why ask it
Offer 'first', 'then' and 'at the end' as handholds. A younger child may give you the start and the finish, while an older one can often manage the problem, a few events in order and how it was solved. Let them turn the pages as they tell it if they get stuck.
Were you right about what the book would be about?
Why ask it
It sends the child back to the guess they made at the cover. Ask what in the book showed them, whichever way it went. Children enjoy this most when the adult's guess was the wrong one.
How did the problem get fixed?
Why ask it
The answer should connect to the problem named earlier: the hat was lost, and now the hat is found. If the child tells you only the last page, ask who fixed it and what they did. In some books nothing is fixed, and noticing that is an answer too.
Which part did you like best? Can you find the page?
Why ask it
Finding the page turns a vague 'the funny part' into something you can both look at. Ask what makes it the best one, and read it again if there is time, so the book ends on the child's choice.
Was there a part you did not like?
Why ask it
It lets a child say that something was scary, sad or boring without having to raise it themselves. Believe the answer and do not argue for the book. If a page frightened them, ask whether they want it skipped next time or want to look at it once more together.
What does the main character know now that they did not know at the start?
Why ask it
This is 'what was the lesson?' without the word lesson. A child may answer with an event, 'that the monster was nice', and that is close enough. Try not to supply the moral yourself, even when the book has spelled it out.
What do you think happens after the last page?
Why ask it
The book cannot contradict the answer, which makes it a kind question for a child whose guesses have missed all the way through. Notice whether the idea follows from the ending or starts a new story. Both are fine, and the first shows they took the ending in.
If you could change the ending, what would happen instead?
Why ask it
Worth asking after an ending the child disliked or found sad, because it lets them fix it. If the new ending is a good one, write it down in their words and read it back the next time the book comes out.
Who could you tell about this book tomorrow, and what would you say?
Why ask it
Retelling to someone who was not there is harder than retelling to you, because that person knows nothing. Pick a real listener, such as a grandparent on the phone or a friend at school, and remind the child at breakfast.
Would you want to read this one again?
Why ask it
A yes goes on the pile for tomorrow. A no is more useful if you ask what was wrong with it, too long, too babyish or too sad, because the answer tells you what to look for at the library.
Asking questions at story time without turning it into a quiz
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
How many questions, and when
Three or four a book
Nobody asks the whole list. Choose one for the cover, one or two for the middle and one for the end, and read the other pages straight through. A book that is stopped on every page stops being a story.
First reading and fortieth reading
On a first read, keep interruptions light so the child can hear how the story goes: a guess at the cover and a guess before one page turn is enough. Rereads are where the picture, feelings and word questions belong, because the child no longer needs all their attention to follow what happens.
Stop where the book stops
Ask at a page turn, at the end of a chapter or where the book itself asks something. Avoid breaking in mid-sentence or in the middle of a rhyme, since the rhythm is part of what the child is enjoying.
Count to five
After a question, wait longer than feels comfortable. Young children need time to find the words, and an adult who answers for them after two seconds teaches them that waiting works. If nothing comes, offer two choices instead of the answer.
Bedtime is different
At bedtime the aim is a calm child, so lean on the gentle ones: what they can see, which part they liked, whether they want it again tomorrow. Keep the predicting, retelling and word hunting for a daytime read on the couch.
Fitting the questions to the child
Around three and four
Stay with pointing, naming and feelings: what can you see, who is that, is she happy or sad. A one-word answer or a finger on the page is a full turn in the conversation. Stretch it for them, 'yes, a dog, a muddy dog', and keep reading.
Around five and six
Add why and what next. This is a good age for guessing before the page turn, naming the problem and telling the story back with the pictures as support. Answers will be short and will sometimes wander off, and following a wander for a moment costs little.
Around seven to nine
Chapter books have fewer pictures, so the questions move to the ends of chapters: what has happened so far, what a character might be thinking, what the child would do. A child who reads alone now may still love being read to, and the talk is often better over a book a little harder than one they would pick up by themselves.
When the child is the one reading
A beginner reading aloud is spending most of their effort on working out the words. Hold the questions until the end of the page or the book, and keep them to what happened and what they liked. Ask the teacher how they would like you to help with a word the child is stuck on, since schools differ on this.
Two children at once
Give the younger one the picture questions and the older one the why questions, and let each hear the other's answer. If the older child keeps getting in first, ask the younger one before you turn the page and the older one after.
More than one language at home
Ask in whichever language you and the child talk in most easily, whatever language the book is printed in. The conversation is what you are there for, and it does not have to match the page.
What to do with the answers
Add one thing
Take what the child said and hand it back a little longer. 'Dog' becomes 'yes, the dog is hiding under the bed'. You are not correcting anything. You are showing what a fuller sentence about the same idea sounds like.
When the answer is wrong
If the child says the wolf is the grandmother, you can suggest looking again and turn back, or simply read on and let the book correct it. Save 'no' for things that matter. A child who hears it often at story time can learn to stop guessing.
When the answer is 'I don't know'
It can mean the question was too hard, too open or badly timed. Make it smaller: swap 'how does he feel?' for 'is he happy or mad?'. Or answer it yourself, thinking aloud, so the child hears how someone gets to an answer.
Wonder aloud instead
Some children clam up when questioned and open up when you wonder. 'I wonder why she left the door open' asks nothing of them and often gets a reply anyway. On a tired evening, a few of these can stand in for every question on the page.
Let them ask you
Hand the job over now and then: 'your turn, ask me something about this page'. The questions a child invents show what they noticed, and getting to judge your answer is a treat.
When the questions get in the way
It has turned into a quiz
The signs are a child who watches your face for the right answer, or who sighs when you stop reading. Drop anything with one correct answer and stay with opinions for a while: best part, funniest picture, who they would be friends with.
'Just read it'
Take it at face value and just read. A child who wants the story uninterrupted is enjoying the story, which is what you were hoping for. Try one question at the very end, or the next day.
Asking what you already know
Children can tell when a question is a test, especially 'what color is the ball?' put to a seven-year-old. Prefer questions you cannot answer for them, such as what they think, what they would do or what it reminds them of.
If something keeps bothering you
One muddled retelling usually means a long day or a dull book. If a pattern holds over weeks, for example the child rarely seems to follow a story they have just heard, write down what you noticed and take it to their teacher or to whoever does their checkups, and ask how that is looked at where you live. A list of questions cannot tell you whether anything is wrong.