Asking questions during story time An important part of engaging children during story sharing is through asking questions. These questions need to be open-­‐ended questions, rather than yes/no questions. Yes/no questions stop the conversation, whereas the open-­‐
ended questions keep the conversation going. There are a variety of open-­‐ended questions-­‐ some easier to understand than others. Understanding questions and understanding stories: Easy to more difficult What is this? What is he/she doing? Where …? What is happening? Who …? What will happen next? What could he/she do? Why did he do that? What will happen if…? Simple stories that describe one topic, such as going to bed or one character. Examples: I Went Walking by Sue Machin & Julie Vivas; Time for Bed by Mem Fox & Jane Dyer Simple stories with sequences-­‐ a sequence of events that lead to a simple conclusion. Examples: Grandpa and Thomas by Pamela Allen The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle Stories with simple problems and solutions-­‐ cause and effect. Examples: Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clarke & Gary Parsons Who Sank the Boat by Pamela Allen Stories with characters that have goals/problems to solve. Examples: Mr Gumpy’s Motor Car by John Burningham The Pear in the Pear Tree by Pamela Allen Talk to your Read and Grow facilitator or Speech Pathologist for further information about open-­‐ended questions. References: Blank’s Level Questions-­‐ Marion Blank Talking Literacy Book Brochures: www.decd.sa.gov.au/svpst/pages/resources/36072/?reFlag=1 Read and Grow: Developing language and emergent literacy skills for all children