Questioning is one of the important comprehension
strategies identified by the panel, and teachers plan
questions that support students’ comprehension of text
and that guide them to read carefully and closely to
uncover layers of meaning, perspectives, and language
use, thus deepening students’ understanding of the
text and its purposes. Teachers ensure that most of
the questions are text dependent, that is, ones that
can only be answered if the text has been read or
heard. Questions direct students to think about key
ideas and details, vocabulary, and the author’s craft,
including the choices the author made in organizing
the text or using particular language. Questions prompt
literal and especially higher-order understandings and
guide students to make inferences. Critical thinking
also is prompted when questions target thinking about an author’s intentions. It is important that
questions be skillfully crafted, especially for complex text. Planning is crucial, as are sensitivity
and responsiveness to students’ comprehension efforts and growing understandings. Students
answer questions orally and in writing, as writing in response to text also strengthens students’
comprehension (Graham and Hebert 2010).
In addition to answering questions that support meaning making, students increase their skills in
asking their own questions about the texts they are read or listen to during this span (RL/RI.2–3.1).
Teachers model question generation during reading and has children collaborate with peers to
generate questions about the text. Students focus both on extracting and clarifying meaning and
on critically examining the author’s choices and purposes or perspectives. Initially, teachers provide
support, withdrawing it slowly as students’ skills and confidence grow. The process of gradually
releasing responsibility for learning to students is discussed in chapter 2 of this ELA/ELD Framework.
Language Development
Language is central to reading, writing, speaking, and
listening—and, indeed, to all learning. It is a crucial focus in
children’s schooling, especially in the early years, as these
years provide the foundation for the learning that occurs in
subsequent years. This section begins with a discussion of
previous learning and current grade-span standards related to
language development. Then vocabulary development, teacher
read alouds, and teacher modeling and student conversations
are highlighted.
In the transitional kindergarten through grade one span,
considerable attention was devoted to language development.
Children were exposed to rich and varied vocabulary, sentence
structures, and discourse structures through a variety of means,
and they were given many opportunities to use language to
express themselves and interact with others in meaningful and intellectually stimulating learning
contexts. (See chapter 3 of this ELA/ELD Framework.)
In the transitional kindergarten through grade one span, children learned to ask and answer
questions about unknown words or phrases in literature and informational texts (RL.K.4/RI.K–1.4).
They learned to identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to
the senses (RL.1.4). They also learned to use temporal words to signal event order (W.2.3). Children
It is important that questions be
skillfully crafted, especially for
complex text. Planning is crucial, as
are sensitivity and responsiveness
to students’ comprehension efforts
and growing understandings.
Students answer questions orally
and in writing, as writing in
response to text also strengthens
students’ comprehension.Grades 2 and 3 Chapter 4 | 293