Self-questioning in reading comprehension is a powerful strategy where readers actively ask themselves questions before, during, and after reading to monitor their understanding and enhance learning.
Essentially, it's about turning the reading process into an interactive dialogue, rather than a passive consumption of text. By posing questions, readers actively engage with the material, identify areas of confusion, and prompt themselves to seek out answers within the text or through external resources. This process leads to a deeper understanding and improved retention.
How Self-Questioning Works:
- Before Reading: Readers might ask questions about the title, author, or cover to predict what the text will be about and activate prior knowledge.
- During Reading: Readers pause periodically to ask questions about key concepts, relationships between ideas, or the author's purpose. Common questions include: "What is the main idea of this paragraph?", "How does this relate to what I already know?", and "What is the author trying to say?".
- After Reading: Readers reflect on what they've learned by asking questions like: "What were the main points of the text?", "What did I learn?", and "What questions do I still have?".
Benefits of Self-Questioning:
- Improved Comprehension: By actively engaging with the text, readers are more likely to understand and retain the information.
- Increased Engagement: Self-questioning makes reading a more active and engaging process, which can improve motivation and focus.
- Enhanced Critical Thinking: The process encourages readers to think critically about the text, evaluate the author's claims, and form their own opinions.
- Independent Learning: It empowers students to take ownership of their learning and develop independent learning skills.
- Monitoring Understanding: Self-questioning allows readers to identify gaps in their understanding and address them promptly.
Example Self-Questioning Prompts:
Here are some examples of questions a reader might ask:
| Stage | Example Question |
|---|---|
| Before Reading | What do I already know about this topic? |
| During Reading | What is the main idea of this section? |
| During Reading | How does this information relate to previous sections? |
| After Reading | What are the key takeaways from this reading? |
| After Reading | What questions do I still have? |
In Summary:
Self-questioning is a vital reading comprehension strategy that promotes active reading, deeper understanding, and independent learning by encouraging readers to actively engage with the text through posing and answering questions throughout the reading process.
