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Activity 3.5: Wonder Questions — Words That Bloom
Activity 3.5
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Wonder Questions

Spark curiosity. Turn reading into a two-way conversation.

What This Is

Question Starter Cards

These cards help you transform reading time into meaningful, curiosity-filled conversations. A good question doesn't test your child — it opens a door. It says: I'm interested in how you see this. That small shift, from reading at your child to reading with them, changes everything.

Wonder questions aren't about comprehension checks or right answers. They're invitations — to imagine, to feel, to connect the story to life. The more you ask them, the more your child begins to ask them too. And that's the real goal: a child who reads and wonders, not just reads and finishes.

How to Use These Cards

Keep Them Close, Use Them Lightly

Keep them by your reading nook. Choose one or two prompts per story — not all of them. Too many questions can turn story time into an interrogation. One well-timed question opens a conversation; five questions shut it down.

Let your child's energy guide you. Sometimes the best moment for a wonder question is mid-story when something surprising happens. Other times it's after the last page, in the quiet space before the book closes.

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There are no right answers. Every question you ask is an invitation to think, feel, and connect. If your child says something unexpected — even something that seems "wrong" — follow it with curiosity, not correction. That's where the magic lives.
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Before You Read
Build anticipation and activate prior knowledge
Before · 01
Wonder Starter
"What do you notice on the cover?"
Teaches children to read images as text — an essential early literacy skill.
Before · 02
Wonder Starter
"What do you think this story might be about?"
Activates prediction — one of the most powerful comprehension strategies.
Before · 03
Wonder Starter
"What feeling do you get just from looking at the pictures?"
Builds emotional vocabulary and attunes children to mood before a word is read.
Before · 04
Wonder Starter
"Have you ever felt the way this character looks?"
Anchors the story in your child's real experience before it even begins.
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During Reading
Pause, wonder, and stay in the story together
During · 01
Wonder Starter
"I wonder why the character did that. What do you think?"
Practises perspective-taking and inference — deep comprehension skills.
During · 02
Wonder Starter
"What do you think will happen next?"
Keeps children actively engaged in the narrative arc rather than passively listening.
During · 03
Wonder Starter
"How do you think the character is feeling right now?"
Develops empathy and emotional literacy as children read facial cues and context.
During · 04
Wonder Starter
"If you were in this story, what would you do?"
Invites personal connection and builds the habit of reading as a conversation with the text.
During · 05
Wonder Starter
"Does anything in this story remind you of something real?"
Strengthens the text-to-self connection — the bridge between stories and lived experience.
During · 06
Wonder Starter
"That's an interesting word — what do you think it means?"
Turns vocabulary into an act of detective work rather than a lesson to be taught.
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After Reading
Reflect, connect, and let the story land
After · 01
Wonder Starter
"What part of this story will you remember tomorrow?"
Invites children to identify what resonates — a natural comprehension and reflection skill.
After · 02
Wonder Starter
"How did that ending make you feel?"
Opens space for emotional processing — sometimes a story needs a moment to settle.
After · 03
Wonder Starter
"If you could change one thing about this story, what would it be?"
Nurtures creative and critical thinking — and leads beautifully to storytelling of their own.
After · 04
Wonder Starter
"What do you think the author wanted us to feel?"
Introduces the concept of author intent — a powerful early literary thinking skill.
After · 05
Wonder Starter
"Who would you give this book to, and why?"
Builds the habit of recommending books — a sign of a genuine reader finding their community.
After · 06
Wonder Starter
"What question would you ask the character if you could?"
Sparks deeper engagement with character and keeps the conversation going long after the last page.
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Open Wonders
Use anytime — no context needed
Open · 01
Wonder Starter
"What made you curious?"
The simplest and most powerful wonder question there is. Works at any point in any story.
Open · 02
Wonder Starter
"I wonder… what do you wonder?"
Models the act of wondering out loud — and hands the floor to your child to do the same.
Open · 03
Wonder Starter
"What's your favourite image in this whole book?"
Celebrates visual literacy and gives children who aren't verbal yet a way to participate fully.
Open · 04
Wonder Starter
"Does this story feel true, even if it's make-believe?"
Introduces the idea that emotional truth matters more than literal fact — a beautiful early literary insight.
Downloads

Please click here to download the Question Starter Cards

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