Clues, Problems, and Wonderings

Clues, problems, and wonderings engage students in thinking before reading. It helps them identify what they know before reading and potential 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 (e.g. charts, graphs, and so on)
  • Possible problems: words with unknown meanings, long or difficult sentences, confusing illustrations (e.g., charts, graphs, and so on), unfamiliar content, unusual format, unfamiliar style of writing.
  • Possible wonderings: questions about the selection, content of pictures, unusual author techniques (e.g., flashback), connection to the theme, connection to other books written by the same author. Wonderings help students determine their purposes for reading.
• Students are encouraged to continue to add to the 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.
  • problems and how the strategies helped solve them.
  • 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 did not, how can they find the answers? Were their questions relevant to understanding the text?