Shared Reading Questions

Rain, by Manya Stajic

 

Take a picture walk to see how the land changes after the rain falls. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:
 
1. (Pick up the book and hold it as if you were reading it.) Show me how to turn the pages. (Children should hold the book right side up and turn pages from front to back.)

 

2. How did the land look before the rain? (It was hot and dry and cracked.)

 

3. How did the animals know the weather was changing? (They could smell, see, hear, feel and taste the approaching rain.)

 

4. How did the land look after the rain? (It had green plants, colorful flowers, juicy fruits, cool mud, pools of water.)

Rain, by Robert Kalan

Take a picture walk, inviting children to share their experiences with rain. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What did the sky look like at the beginning of the story? (It was blue with a yellow sun and white clouds.)

2. How did the sky change before it rained? (It turned gray and filled with dark clouds.)

3. How many letters are in the word rain? (4) What are the letters in rain? (r-a-i-n)

4. What clothes do you wear in the rain? (hat, raincoat, rubber boots, and so on)

 

Raindrop, Plop! by Wendy Cheyette Lewison         

Take a picture walk to talk about rainy days. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What do you think the little girl is going to do because it is raining? (Possible responses: She will stay inside; She will play in the rain.)

2. What did the little girl do after she ran home in the rain? (She took off her wet clothes and then took a bath.)

3. Point to each word in the title. Now point to each letter. Are there more words or letters? Explain how you knew. (There are more letters; I counted them.)

4. How do you have fun on a rainy day? (Responses will vary.)

 

Snowmen at Night, by Caralyn Buehner

Take a picture walk to talk about snowmen. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What do you think may happen to snowmen at night? (Possible responses: They might melt a little; They don’t do anything.)

 

2. What were two things the snowmen did? (They drank ice-cold cocoa; They played baseball.)

 

3. On the first page, what word rhymes with all? (tall) On the last page, what word rhymes with height? (night)

 

4. What was your favorite illustration? Why? (Responses will vary.)

 

When the Moon Smiled, by Petr Horãcek

Take a picture walk to talk about nighttime and the moon. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. Look at the front cover. Where do you think this story will take place? Why? (On a farm; there are farm animals there.)

 

2. Open the book and look at the moon. Does it look sad or happy? Why? (It looks sad, because it is not smiling.) Now close the book and look at the moon again. How is this picture different from the other one? (The moon is sad inside, and happy on the cover.)

 

3. What do letters stand for? (sounds) When you put sounds together in the right order, what can you make? (words)

 

4. If you were the moon, how would you have awakened the sleepy animals? How would you have put the animals to sleep? (Possible responses: I would have given them an alarm clock; I would have read them a bedtime story.)

 

Fall Leaves Fall, by Zoe Hall

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, by Lois Ehlert

Take a picture walk to talk about leaves and trees. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. Do you think this story will just be about leaves? Explain. (Possible response: No, I think it will be about leaves and trees and maybe bushes.)

2. How did the pictures show the tree in winter, spring, summer, and fall? (Possible responses: They showed the bag of birdseed in the winter, new leaves in the spring, bushy leaves in the summer, and red, yellow and gold leaves in the fall.)

 

3. Look at the title. What word appears two times? (Leaf) What words in the title are colors? Read the words. (Red, Yellow)

 

4. What time of year do you like trees the best? Explain. (Possible response: I like fall when the leaves turn colors.)

Moon Rope /
Un lazo a la luna, by Lois Ehlert

Take a picture walk to talk about wanting to do something you’re afraid to do. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What do you think the story title means? What could a moon rope be? (Possible response: Maybe the moon has a rope in it; Maybe somebody wants to climb up the rope.)

 

2. While they were climbing, what was Fox doing? (keeping his eyes on the moon above him) What was Mole doing? (looking back to earth) What did that cause Mole to do? (fall)

 

3. Look at the story title. What is the same about the two words? (They have the same number of letters.) Do the words rhyme? (no)

 

4. Who would you be more like: Fox or Mole? Would you go up the rope or would you be afraid? (Possible response: I would be like Fox so I could see what the moon looked like.)

 

Frederick, by Leo Lionni

Take a picture walk to talk about mice , where they live and what they do. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:
 
1. Where do you think the little mice live in this story? (Answers will vary, for example, in a field, under rocks)

 

2. Why wasn’t Frederick working with the other mice to get ready for winter? (He was too busy daydreaming of sun rays, words, and colors.)

 

3. Clap your hands and count the syllables you hear in each word: Frederick, mouse, farmers. (3, 1, 2) Which of these words begins the same as Frederick? (farmers)

 

4. If you were one of the mice, how would you help to get ready for winter? (Answers will vary, for example: I would look for more food.)

 

A Rainy Day, by Lola M. Schaefer

Take a picture walk to talk about rainy days. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. How do you think the boys on the front cover feel about the rain? (Possible responses: They like it; They are having fun in it; They are mad!)

2. What are two reasons that we need rain? (Rain waters plants; animals need it to drink.)

 

3. Look at the page numbers. On what page does rain form in clouds? (7) On what page is the rainbow? (20) How many pages does the book have in all? (24)

 

4. Do you think rain is a good thing or a bad thing? Why? (Possible responses: Rain is a good thing because people and animals need it; It’s bad because I can’t go outside and play.)

Snowballs, by Lois Ehlert

Take a picture walk to talk about rainy days. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. How do you think the boys on the front cover feel about the rain? (Possible responses: They like it; They are having fun in it; They are mad!)

 

2. What are two reasons that we need rain? (Rain waters plants; animals need it to drink.)

 

3. Look at the page numbers. On what page does rain form in clouds? (7) On what page is the rainbow? (20) How many pages does the book have in all? (24)

 

4. Do you think rain is a good thing or a bad thing? Why? (Possible responses: Rain is a good thing because people and animals need it; It’s bad because I can’t go outside and play.)

 

The Snowball Fight (Maurice Sendak's Little Bear), by Else Holmelund Minarik

Take a picture walk to talk about snowballs and snowmen. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What things do you think you could use to make a special snowman? (Possible response: some old clothes or things we have around the house)

 

2. What did the birds and squirrels have to eat when the snow family melted? (seeds, corn, nuts, popcorn)

 

3. Read the title. What two little words do you hear that make the big word snowballs? (snow, balls)

 

4. How else could you help to feed the animals in the wintertime? (Possible response: We could put out a birdfeeder or put corn out for them.)

Kitten’s First Full Moon, by Kevin Henkes

Take a picture walk to talk about the moon and what it looks like. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. Do you think Kitten had ever seen a full moon before? Why or why not? (Possible response: No, because she thought it was a bowl of milk.)

2. How did Kitten try to get the bowl of milk? (She jumped off the step, she chased it, and she jumped in the pond to get it.)

 

3. Open the book to any page you like. Point to the first word on the page and the last word. Move your finger to show how to read this page. (Children should correctly indicate the first and last words, and move their fingers from left to right, top to bottom of the page.)

 

4. Have you ever seen a full moon? Tell what it looked like to you and if you liked it or not. (Responses will vary.)

 

Look at the Moon, by May Garelick

Take a picture walk to talk about a full moon. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What do you think the little girl is thinking on the first page? (Possible response: She is thinking about the moon.)

 

2. Why did the little girl think a city did not need a moon? (It was already bright with city lights.)

 

3. On the first page, what word rhymes with light? (bright) With see? (me)

 

4. What do you wonder about the moon? (Possible responses: What is the moon made of? Where does it go in the daytime?)

Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me, by Eric Carle

Take a picture walk to talk about the moon and how it changes in the night sky. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. Why do you think the little girl wanted the moon? (She wanted to play with it.)

 

2. Why do you think the pages fold out in this book? (Responses will vary, but should indicate that it shows how big the ladder, the mountain, and the moon were.)

 

3. Listen while I read the words in the title. Point to each word as I read it. (get, moon, for, papa, me, please, the) How many words did I read? (7)

 

4. Did Papa do a nice thing for his daughter? Why? (Yes. He wanted to get her what she wanted.) What nice thing has your mother or father done for you? (Responses will vary.)

I Took the Moon for a Walk, by Carolyn Curtis

Take a picture walk to talk about the moon. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. Do you think the moon could go for a walk? Why? (Possible response: No, it doesn’t have legs or feet to walk.)

 

2. Do you think the moon would still shine if the boy didn’t take it for a walk? Why? (Possible resonse: Yes, the moon shines every night.)

 

 

3. Look at the first page of the story. What word rhymes with kite? (night) Turn the page. What other word rhymes with kite? (sight)

4. Have you ever seen the moon at night? How does it look? How does it make you feel? (Responses will vary.)

The Wind Blew, by Pat Hutchins

Take a picture walk to talk about the wind and windy days. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What caused the umbrella to turn inside out? (a gust of wind)

2. What did the wind sweep up after the umbrella? (balloon, hat, kite, shirt, wig, letters, flag, scarves, newspapers)

 

3. Where do you see words in the pictures? (on the envelopes, newspapers, sign, mailbag, and boat)

4. Have you ever been outside on a windy day? What happened? (Responses will vary.)

One Windy Wednesday, by Phyllis Root

Take a picture walk to talk about windy days. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What problem do you think the little girl will have in the wind? Why? (Possible response: She might get knocked over because the wind is blowing so hard.)

 

2. How did Bonnie Bumble solve the problem? (She patted, hitched, tied, and knit the sounds back onto the right animals.)

 

3. Turn to the first page. Trace your finger to show how to read each sentence on this page. (Children should move their fingers from the first word to the last, from left to right.)

 

4. Pick a page in the story with a funny picture. What made you laugh? (Responses will vary.)

Storm Is Coming! by Heather Tekavec

Take a picture walk to talk about storms and what they are like. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. Look at the front cover. Why do you think the animals are running away? (Possible response: Maybe they’re scared of something.)

 

2. What did the animals hear that scared them? (thunder, lightning, rain, and wind)

 

3. Read the title. Name each letter. Find the letters that have a match. (Children should read the title, name each letter consecutively, and identify the letters, s, o, m, and I and their matching letters in the title.)

 

4. How do you feel when a storm is coming? What do you do? (Responses will vary.)

Puddles, by Jonathan London

Take a picture walk to talk about storms and how they make people feel. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. When the rain stops, what do the children do outside? (splash in the puddles, play in the mud, watch the worms and frogs, and so on)

 

2. Do the children like to play in the puddles? Why do you think so? (Yes; they are laughing and smiling. They come in to get a bath and then go right back out.)

 

3. What sound does the rain make? (drip, drip, drip) What sound do children make jumping in the puddles? (splash, splash, splash)

 

4. Have you ever played in a mud puddle? What did you do? (Responses will vary.)

Hop Jump, by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Take a picture walk to talk about frogs and what they do. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What else do you think the frogs will do besides hop and jump? (Possible response: Maybe they will play games, too.)

 

2. What gave Betsy the frog the idea to dance? (She watched some leaves floating down to the ground and thought she would act like they did.)

 

3. Point to each word in the title. Now point to each letter. How many words are there? (2) How many letters in all? (7) Are there more words or more letters? Explain how you knew. (There are more letters; I counted.)

 

4. Make up a dance that looks like falling leaves. Show or tell me about your dance. (Children should show or tell about a dance of falling leaves.)

The First Day of Winter, by Denise Fleming

Take a picture walk to talk about how it feels to give and get presents. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What gift could someone give to a snowman? (Responses will vary.)

2. What did the snowman get on the second day? (two blue mittens) On the fifth day? (5 birdseed pockets)

3. Point to the capital letters in the title. Name each one. (F, D, W)

4. Which picture is your favorite? Name all the gifts the snowman got in that picture. (Responses will vary, but children should correctly identify the gifts in the chosen illustration.)

Kipper’s Book of Weather, by Mick Inkpen

 

Take a picture walk to talk about different kinds of weather. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What kind of weather is shown on the first page? (rain)

 

2. What does Kipper like to do on a rainy day? (jump in the puddles) Repeat for each kind of weather.

 

3. (Read the title. Point out that the word weather begins with the letter W.) What word in the story begins like Weather? (Wind)

 

4. What do you like to do when it is rainy outside? Icy? (Responses will vary.)

This Is the Rain, by Lola M. Schaefer

Take a picture walk to talk about rain and where it goes. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. Where do you think rain comes from? (Possible response: the sky)

 

2. What do clouds hold? (the rain) What warms the ocean? (sunshine)

 

3. Show me the front of the book. Show me the back. Where do you begin reading? Put your finger on the first word on the first page. Now put your finger on the last word. (Children should indicate the front and back of the book, and the first and last word on the first page.)

 

4. What have you learned about the rain? (Children should indicate a fact about rain.)

Cloud Boy, by Rhode Montijo

Take a picture walk to talk about the cloud shapes. Then track the print as you read the story aloud. Pause to ask questions such as these:

1. What does Cloud Boy do so he wouldn’t feel so lonely? (He gathers puffs of clouds and creates “friends.”)

 

2. What are the cloud shapes that Cloud Boy makes? (butterfly, castle, rabbit, sailboat, elephants and so on.)

 

3. (Point to the word boy on the first page.) What letter does boy begin with? (b) Find other words in the story that begin with the letter b. (butterfly, beautiful, below, be, big)