Clues, problems, and wonderings help students identify what they know before reading and what problems they may encounter while reading. It also helps them define their purposes for reading.

In clues, problems, and wonderings, students browse the selection before reading.

• Students identify and share clues, problems, and wonderings as they find them.
  • - Possible sources for clues: content, author or illustrator, genre, illustrations (charts, graphs, etc.)
  • - Possible problems: words with unknown meanings, long or difficult sentences, confusing illustrations (e.g., charts, graphs, etc.), unfamiliar content, unusual format, unfamiliar style of writing.
  • - Possible wonderings: content of pictures, unusual author techniques (e.g., flashback), connection to the theme, connection to other books written by the same author. Wonderings help determine the purposes for reading.
• Students continue to add to clues, problems, and wonderings while reading.
• Students return to clues, problems, and wonderings after reading. They:
  • - Discuss clues and whether or not they were helpful.
  • - Discuss problems and how the strategies helped solve them.
  • - Discuss wonderings: Were wonderings addressed? Were they important? How can I find out more? Did the students achieve their purposes for reading? Did they answer their questions? If they didn't get answers to their questions, how can they find the answers? Were their questions relevant to understanding the text?