Using Mystery Questions

This summer I tried  Mystery Questions to change things up a bit.
The kids really got into it!

 
Here's how we did it.

I wrote some questions about a read aloud book on index cards and placed each in an envelope. I had a small group (no more then 5 students) so there was an envelope/question for each of them. All the envelopes went into a paper sack.

I enticed them by telling them about the Mystery sack before reading the book.

Immediately after reading the book, we talked a little about what happened in the story, then passed around the sack. Each student pulled out an envelope and read the question to themselves, some students needed some help doing this and that's alright!

Students took turns reading their question aloud and answering it.Sometimes they needed a clue or they could ask a friend to help them. I cautioned everyone not to help unless they asked. That gets tricky sometimes.

Pretty simple.

Great things about the Mystery Questions

• Opportunity to read independently.
• Promotes language skills.
• Easily differentiated.
• Motivating to practice comprehension skills.
• Everyone gets a turn.
• Hands on/allows movement.

Let me know if you try this!

Later,

Paula