Ask Questions and Use Evidence

Ask Questions and Use Evidence

What students learn

Students learn how questions help readers pay attention to details and how evidence helps them answer clearly. Start with Questions: Ask Before You Read for Clues so students see how a reader gets ready before the page turns.

Why it matters

Strong book club talk is built on curiosity. Questions: Ask While You Read for Clues shows that good readers keep wondering as they read, not just at the start.

Learn the idea

When someone answers a question, they should be able to point to the text. Evidence: Point to the Words That Prove It shows how a detail from the text can support an answer in a discussion.

Try it

Give the student a short passage or a familiar book chapter. Ask them to write one question before reading, one question during reading, and one answer that includes a detail from the text. Then have them explain why that detail matters.

Parent guide

When the student answers, ask, "What part of the text made you think that?" If they cannot point to a detail, help them go back and look again. Keep the tone calm and curious so the child learns that evidence is part of conversation, not a test trick.