20 Reading Response Questions for Any Book

Here are 20 “Lit Spark” Reading Response questions for your students. They are perfect for literature circles, individual writing prompts, or even just class discussions.

Ways to Use Literature Response Questions

• Use alongside your close reading.
• Use as writing prompts for reading journals.
• Require students to complete a certain number of responses each week for their independent reading.
• Great for guided reading groups and literature circles as discussion prompts.
• Use as prompts for partner discussions.
• Include in your literacy centers.
• Choose one response question to project for the whole class to use as a writing prompt.

20 Reading Response Questions

Response Questions About the Main Character

1. What is the most interesting thing you know about the main character of your book?
2. If you could give the main character in your book some advice, what would you tell him or her?
3. Do you like the main character of your book? Why or why not?
4. List six adjectives that describe the main character of this book.

Questions About the Setting

1. Think about a setting in your book. If you were in the setting, what are some things you might see?

Reading Response Questions About Important Events

1. Describe an important event from your book and tell why it is important.
2. Think of an important event in your book. How would the story have changed if this event had not happened?

Questions About Characters

1. Who is your favorite character in your book? Why is this character your favorite?
2. Pretend that you get to create a new character for this book. What role in the story would your new character play?
3. If you could ask the main character of this book three questions, what would you ask?
4. Think about a supporting character in your book. How would the book be different if that character did not exist?

General Reading Response Questions

1. What point of view is your book written in? How do you know?
2. Summarize this book or the chapter you just read in ten words or less.
3. List three facts about this book. Then, list three opinions about it.
4. Think about your book. Then finish this sentence in 3 different ways: I wonder….
5. Thinks of a new title for you your book. Why do you think this is a good title?
6. Do you think this book was well written? Why or why not?
7. In what ways would this book be different if it were set 100 years in the past?
8. What is the main conflict that the main character in your book must face?
9. What are some important relationships in your book?

Looking for amazing read alouds for your classroom? Check out this post that shares our favorite books to read with your 3rd – 5th grade students!

5 Approaches to Implementing Reading Response Questions That All WORK!

Here are 5 different ways that a teacher can approach the same reading response. Choose the resource that works best for you! Download any 3 for FREE with a MIBU Guest Pass!

Importance of Reading Response

Reading Response is most likely a huge part of your reading program, whether you work with small groups, have your students participate in literature circles, or take a more independent approach, such as implementing a Reading Workshop program.

Having questions and activities on hand that will work with almost any piece of literature is a necessity if you are not able to utilize literature guides for every book your students are reading.

1. Reading Response Cards

Reading Response Cards are a good choice for both discussion and written response.

You can use them with the whole class by displaying a card with the document camera, but these cards are more commonly used in small groups as discussion prompts or individually as writing prompts. Just select the cards you want students to complete, allow them to select themselves, or for a little extra excitement, have students choose cards randomly. You can find more ideas on how to use task and activity cards in the classroom here.

2. Tic-Tac-Toe Choice Grids

Tic-Tac-Toe Choice Grids are one of my favorites because they give students choices in a structured format.

Because the activities chosen must be in a row, students must weigh one activity against another. In order to complete an activity he would enjoy, a student may have to also complete one with which he is not so comfortable. If you do not like the Tic-Tac-Toe format, you could always allow students to choose a given number of activities from anywhere on the grid.

3. Reading Response Labels for Interactive Notebooks

This idea was originally given to me by Randy Seldomridge, an amazing sixth-grade teacher.

The idea behind Reading Response Labels is that they can easily be used with interactive notebooks.

The questions are printed on labels, which can be stuck to the top of a page for student response. If you want all of your students to answer the same question, just pass the page around and have each student take a label. Easy-peasy!

If you are doing interactive notebooks in any subject, you might want to explore using labels. They are pretty easy to create using Microsoft Word with the appropriate template.

4. Reading Response Bookmarks

What I like about Reading Response Bookmarks is that they are bite-sized so that students do not feel overwhelmed.

By requiring your students to complete several for a given chapter or book, they are actually doing the same work they might do on a traditional worksheet, but they will never know it!

Like many of these other resources, you can select the activities you want your students to complete or leave the choice up to them.

5. Reading Response Worksheets

Worksheets have fallen out of favor in many school districts, and that is understandable since they use a lot of paper and often are not all that motivating for students. However, this does not have to be the case.

Reading Response Worksheets can be fun and interesting, and they are certainly a great way to hold students accountable for their reading.

Further, you can still save paper by laminating the sheets or placing them in clear plastic page protectors and having students complete them with dry-erase markers.

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