What are some effective questioning strategies when teaching reading comprehension?

Open-ended questions and summarization prompts are effective questioning strategies when teaching reading comprehension because they encourage students to think critically about the text and articulate their understanding in their own words. Open-ended questions promote deeper engagement by allowing students to explore themes, characters, and plot developments, facilitating discussion and critical thinking.

Summarization prompts guide students to distill key ideas and concepts from the reading, enhancing their ability to focus on main points and underlying messages. This approach not only aids in retention but also reinforces comprehension by requiring students to process and organize information, thereby solidifying their learning experience. Such strategies foster an interactive learning environment where students feel more invested in the material and are encouraged to express their interpretations and insights, which is essential for developing strong reading comprehension skills.

In contrast, the other options do not effectively support student engagement or deeper understanding. For example, relying solely on closed questions tends to limit responses to a simple recall of facts, thereby inhibiting critical thinking and personal connection to the text. Similarly, memorization prompts might prioritize rote learning over genuine comprehension, while focusing exclusively on illustrations restricts discussions to visual elements without promoting an understanding of the written content.