Questions for Comprehension — I can ask and answer questions before and after reading to check understanding at my level. - Adult Literacy Beginner

SECTION 1

Why Asking Questions Helps You Read Better

Good readers do not just look at the words on a page. They ask themselves questions before they start reading, while they read, and after they finish. This simple habit helps you understand what you read and remember it much longer.

You already ask questions all the time in daily life — before you cook, you might ask, "What ingredients do I need?" This lesson shows you how to use that same skill with reading.

BEFORE • Get Ready to Read

Look at the title and any pictures. Ask yourself what the reading might be about and what you already know.

DURING • Check Yourself While You Read

Stop every so often. Ask yourself if what you just read makes sense. If not, slow down and read it again.

AFTER • Answer Your Own Questions

When you finish, try to answer the questions you asked at the start. This helps you remember what you read.

The big question this lesson answers is: How can asking simple questions before and after reading help me understand more and remember longer? Asking questions is one of the best ways to become a strong, confident reader.

SECTION 2

Core Ideas for Asking Questions

Asking questions works because it helps your brain focus, notice problems, and remember better. Here are five simple ideas that explain why this works.

Set a Purpose (Before Reading)

Asking a question before you read gives you a reason to read. It helps you pay attention to the parts that matter most.

Check Yourself (While Reading)

Asking questions while you read acts like a check-in. If you cannot answer your own question, you know right away that something did not make sense.

Remember What You Read (After Reading)

Trying to answer your questions after reading — without looking back — helps you remember much better than just reading the passage again.

Some Questions Go Deeper

Simple questions like who, what, when check basic facts. Questions like why and how push you to think more deeply.

Notice What You Know and Don't Know

Asking questions helps you notice what you understand and what you do not. Then you know when to slow down or read a part again.

✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of asking questions like checking a map on a trip. Before you go, you look at the map to plan your route. Along the way, you check signs to make sure you are still headed the right way. When you arrive, you check that you reached the right place. Use questions the same way: before reading to plan, during reading to stay on track, and after reading to make sure you understood.

SECTION 3

The Questioning Cycle — A Picture

This picture shows how to use questions at each step of reading. If you cannot answer a question, you go back and read that part again. The three parts (Before, During, and After) match the ideas from Section 2.

The three boxes at the top show the three times to ask questions. The Check Your Understanding box below asks: can you answer your questions? If yes, you understood the reading. If not, the dotted arrow sends you back to read that part again.

The picture also shows what to do when you get stuck. Many readers finish a passage, cannot answer their own question, and just move on. Strong readers do something different. They go back to the confusing part. They read it again with their question in mind. They keep trying until they can answer it. Rereading just that part is faster than rereading the whole thing. Noticing what confused you is also a useful skill.

SECTION 4

Why Asking Questions Works

Why does asking questions help so much? There are three simple reasons, one for each part of the reading cycle.

Connect to What You Know (Before Reading)

When you ask "What do I already know about this?" before you read, you think about things you already remember. This makes new information easier to understand. It also makes new information easier to remember, because it connects to something you already know.

Ask Why and How (During Reading)

Asking why and how questions while you read helps you connect ideas together. When you stop and ask, "Why did that happen?" or "How does this connect to what I just read?", you understand the reading better. This also makes it easier to remember later.

Test Yourself (After Reading)

Trying to answer a question from memory, without looking back at the text, is one of the best ways to remember something for a long time. It works better than reading the passage again and again.

Each column shows one part of reading and why questions help there. Connecting to what you know helps before reading; asking why and how builds connections during reading; and testing yourself helps you remember after reading.

SECTION 5

Different Kinds of Questions

Not all questions are the same. Some questions ask you to find a fact stated right in the text. Other questions ask you to think more and add your own ideas. Here are four simple types of questions.

Question Type	Where's the Answer?	Example Question	How Deep Is the Thinking?
Right There	The answer is stated right in the text	"What did the text say about…?"	Simple recall
Think & Search	The answer is in the text, but you must put together parts from different sentences	"What were the reasons for…?"	Putting pieces together
Author & You	The answer uses both the text and what you already know	"Why do you think this happened?"	Thinking and connecting
On My Own	The answer comes mostly from your own knowledge and experience	"How does this relate to your life?"	Using your own ideas

Four Types of Comprehension Questions

A common habit for new readers is to only ask Right There questions — like finding one sentence to copy. These questions are useful, but they do not always mean you truly understood the reading. Try to also ask Think & Search and Author & You questions. These questions push you to think more and connect ideas. They help you understand the reading better.

💡

PRACTICAL TIP

When you finish reading, try to write one question at each of the four levels. If you can answer all four, you understand the reading well. If you get stuck on the harder questions, that is a sign to slow down and think more about what you read.

SECTION 6

A Real Example — Using Questions with a Short Reading

Let's practice the whole question cycle with a short reading. Read the passage below, then follow each step.

📝

SAMPLE PASSAGE

"Sometimes a room feels cold in winter, even with the heat on. Old windows can let cold air inside. Doors that do not close all the way also let warm air escape. Weather strips around doors and windows can block the cold air. Thick curtains can also help keep a room warm."

Using the Question Cycle

1
Step 1 — Before Reading: Look Ahead and Set a Purpose

Before you read, look at the title idea: cold rooms in winter. Ask yourself: What do I already know about cold rooms? Maybe you remember a drafty window or a cold door at home. Then set a purpose: What makes rooms cold, and what can help?

Purpose: Find out what causes cold rooms, and what can help.
2
Step 2 — During Reading: Ask Questions as You Go

As you read, stop after a sentence or two. After reading about old windows and doors, ask: Why do these let cold air in? You might think there are small gaps that let air through. After reading about weather strips and curtains, ask: Does this match something I have seen at home?

Check-in: Two causes found so far — old windows and doors. Both make sense to me.
3
Step 3 — After Reading: Answer Your Own Questions

Now go back to your purpose question. Without looking at the text, try to answer it. Causes: old windows and doors that do not close all the way. Solutions: weather strips and thick curtains. If you remembered both the causes and the solutions, you understood the reading well.

Understanding checked: I can answer my starting question.
4
Step 4 — Go Further: Ask a Deeper Question

Try one more question that is not answered directly in the text: Why might weather strips help more than curtains alone? The text does not say, but you can think about it: weather strips block cold air right where it comes in, while curtains only block it after it is already in the room. Thinking this way helps you understand the topic even more.

Deeper thinking: Blocking air at the source may work best.

SECTION 7

Strengths and Limits of Asking Questions

Like any reading strategy, asking questions has real strengths and some limits. Knowing both helps you use it well.

Strengths	Limitations
Works for readers at every level, with many kinds of text	Takes practice — it may feel slow at first
Works with stories, articles, instructions, letters, and more	Only helps as much as your questions are good — simple questions lead to simple understanding
Helps you notice what you do and do not understand	Does not fix a big vocabulary gap — if too many words are unknown, you may need to build vocabulary first
Needs no special tools — just you and the text	May slow down your reading at first
Keeps your mind on the reading instead of wandering	Works less well if you know very little about the topic already

Self-Questioning: Strengths vs. Limitations

✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

Asking questions works best alongside other reading skills. Just like a carpenter needs more than one tool, a reader who also uses summarizing, predicting, and learning new words has a fuller set of tools for understanding any text.

SECTION 8

Using This Skill in Everyday Life

The questioning skills in this lesson are useful far beyond books and stories. You can use them anytime you read something important in daily life — a letter, a set of instructions, a job posting, or a form.

Feature	Everyday Reading	Reading Something Important
Main Goal	Understand what it says	Check that you understand it correctly before you act on it
Example Questions	What is this about? What do I need to do?	Did I miss any details? What happens if I get this wrong?
Example Uses	A note, a short article, a recipe	A bill, a contract, a medical form, a job application
When to Slow Down	When something feels new	When a mistake could cost you money, time, or cause other problems

Everyday Reading vs. Reading Something Important

The habits you are building now — looking ahead, checking yourself, and reviewing what you read — will help you with all kinds of reading tasks, from a letter in the mail to instructions at a new job. The more you practice, the more natural these questions will feel.

SECTION 9

Practice Problems

The following five problems move from simple to more challenging. Try to answer each one yourself before reading the given answer. This kind of self-testing is itself the strategy you have been learning.

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

Name the three times you can ask questions when you read. Give one example question for each.

Show answer

The three times are before reading, during reading, and after reading. Before reading, you might ask: 'What do I already know about this topic?' During reading, you might ask: 'Does this make sense so far?' After reading, you might ask: 'Can I answer my own questions now?'

Question 2: BASIC APPLICATION

You are about to read a flyer titled 'How to Apply for a Library Card.' Write two questions you could ask yourself before you start reading.

Show answer

Two good before-reading questions are: (1) 'What do I need to bring to get a library card?' and (2) 'Do I already know anything about how library cards work?' These questions give you a reason to read and help you notice the important details as you go.

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

Read this short passage: 'The bus to downtown leaves every 20 minutes from Main Street. On weekends, it leaves every 40 minutes instead. Riders should arrive at the stop five minutes early.' Write one question whose answer is stated right in the text, and one question that uses the text plus your own thinking. Then answer both.

Show answer

A 'Right There' question: 'How often does the bus leave on weekdays?' Answer: every 20 minutes. A question that uses the text plus your own thinking: 'Why might the bus come less often on weekends?' Answer: The text doesn't say directly, but you might guess that fewer people ride on weekends, so the bus runs less often.

Question 4: APPLIED

You are reading the instructions for a new medication and you realize partway through that you cannot remember what you just read. Using the question cycle, describe what you would do next.

Show answer

First, notice that you lost track of the meaning — this is actually a good sign that you are paying attention. Go back to the start of the confusing part and ask a clear question, such as 'When should I take this medicine, and how much?' Read that section again slowly with your question in mind. After reading, try to answer your question without looking. If you can answer it, you understood it. If not, read that part again or ask someone for help.

Question 5: THINK IT THROUGH

A friend says, 'Stopping to ask myself questions while I read just slows me down. I'd rather read it fast and go back later if I'm confused.' Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer, and mention one fair point in your friend's idea.

Show answer

Your friend has a fair point — asking questions can feel slower at first, especially while you are still building the habit. However, asking questions while you read usually saves time overall. It helps you notice right away when something is confusing, so you only need to reread that one part instead of the whole thing. It also helps you remember what you read much better than simply rereading it from the start. So while it may feel slower at first, it often works better in the end.

SUMMARY

Lesson Summary

Summary

Asking questions turns reading into an active habit instead of something passive. The question cycle has three main times: before reading (look ahead and set a purpose), during reading (check yourself as you go), and after reading (answer your own questions to remember what you read). The four question types — Right There, Think & Search, Author & You, and On My Own — help you ask questions at different levels, from simple facts to deeper thinking.

Asking questions works because it connects new information to what you already know, builds connections between ideas, and strengthens memory when you try to answer from recall instead of looking back. When you cannot answer a question, go back and reread just that part instead of the whole text. These same habits — looking ahead, checking yourself, and reviewing — will help you with everyday reading tasks like forms, instructions, and letters, not just books. Asking questions is not a detour from reading — it is how real understanding happens.