Reading Discussion Cards

Questions to ask before, during and after reading together.

Free. No account, no email, nothing to install.Parents and teachers · Grades K–5

Free, private conversation tool

Build reading discussion cards

Choose a grade band, text type, and reading stage. Use one question when it helps; skip any card that interrupts the reading.

Conversation set

6 questions to choose from

  1. Before reading

    Does this book remind you of another story or experience?

    Ask: “What makes you think that?” when a follow-up would help.
  2. Before reading

    What clues do the title, cover, and summary give about the story?

    Ask: “What makes you think that?” when a follow-up would help.
  3. During reading

    What is the character learning or beginning to understand?

    Ask: “What makes you think that?” when a follow-up would help.
  4. During reading

    What does the main character want, and what is getting in the way?

    Ask: “What makes you think that?” when a follow-up would help.
  5. After reading

    What would change if another character told the story?

    Ask: “What makes you think that?” when a follow-up would help.
  6. After reading

    Summarize the story using the most important events only.

    Ask: “What makes you think that?” when a follow-up would help.

 

Nothing you select is saved or sent. Good reading talk follows the child’s thinking rather than testing every page.

How to use it

  1. Choose the reading stage you are at — before, during or after.
  2. Pick the questions that suit the book and your child.
  3. Print them as cards and keep them where you read.

The thinking behind it

Reading Comprehension Questions Before, During, and After Reading

Choose grade-aware questions for before, during, and after reading, then use them to follow a child’s thinking without turning a book into a quiz.