Guided reading sessions are most effective when the questions used go beyond simple retrieval. The best guided reading questions require children to think carefully about what they have read, justify their answers with reference to the text, and consider different interpretations. This page provides ready-to-use question frameworks and book-specific questions for the most commonly taught KS2 texts.
Question Frameworks for Any KS2 Book
These question stems work with any novel or non-fiction text. Simply fill in the character or event name:
Retrieval Questions
- What does [character] do when [event] happens?
- Find three pieces of evidence from the text that show [character] is [trait].
- What is the first thing [character] says when they meet [other character]?
- How long does [event] take? What evidence do you have for your answer?
Inference Questions
- How does [character] feel at this point? How do you know?
- Why do you think [character] chose to [action]? What does this tell us about them?
- What does [character] really mean when they say "[quote]"?
- What do you think will happen next? What evidence from the text supports your prediction?
- Why doesn't the author tell us directly what [character] is feeling? What effect does this have?
Language Questions
- Why do you think the author chose the word "[word]" here? What effect does it create?
- Find a sentence you think is particularly well-written. Explain what makes it effective.
- How does the author make [scene] feel [tense/exciting/sad]? Find specific evidence.
Whole-Text Questions
- How has [character] changed from the beginning to now? What caused the change?
- What do you think the most important theme in this book is? Why?
- If you could ask the author one question about this book, what would it be?
Guided Reading Questions by Book
📚 Matilda (Roald Dahl)
Key Guided Reading Questions for Matilda
- Miss Honey is the first adult to recognise Matilda's gifts. Why do you think no one else noticed before? What does this tell us about the adults in the book?
- Matilda plays pranks on her father rather than telling anyone about his behaviour. Why? Is this the right choice?
- Dahl describes Miss Trunchbull as a former Olympic hammer-thrower. Why do you think he chose this specific background for her?
- By the end, Matilda's telekinetic powers fade. Why do you think Dahl made this choice?
- Miss Honey and Miss Trunchbull are aunts and niece. How does their relationship reflect the novel's themes about power?
Matilda KS2 Quiz |
Full Teaching Resource🍫 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl)
Key Questions for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Each of the four bad children has a different fault. Which fault do you think is most serious? Why?
- Wonka seems indifferent when the children get into trouble. Do you think he actually planned for this to happen? What evidence do you have?
- Charlie is good not because he is clever or talented but because he is kind and honest. Is this a satisfying reason to win? Why or why not?
- How does the factory change throughout the visit — does it feel more or less magical as children are removed?
Quiz → |
Teaching Resource🐴 War Horse (Michael Morpurgo)
Key Questions for War Horse
- The novel is narrated by a horse. What does this perspective allow Morpurgo to do that a human narrator could not?
- Joey is cared for by soldiers on both sides of the war. What does this suggest about the men fighting?
- The scene where a British and a German soldier cooperate to free Joey from barbed wire is one of the novel's most important. Why?
- Albert never gives up searching for Joey. What does this loyalty tell us about his character?
KS2 Quiz |
Teaching Resource🏡 Goodnight Mister Tom (Michelle Magorian)
Key Questions for Goodnight Mister Tom
- Tom is described as reclusive and unfriendly at the start. How does Magorian show his true character from the very beginning, despite this?
- Willie has been taught that he is worthless and wicked. How does Magorian show this belief changing over the course of the novel?
- Zach's death is sudden and unexpected. Why do you think Magorian chose not to foreshadow it?
- Tom decides to be Willie's legal guardian. What does this decision tell us about how Tom has changed?
Quiz → |
Teaching Resource🌿 Private Peaceful (Michael Morpurgo)
Key Questions for Private Peaceful
- The novel takes place in a single night of Tommo's recollection. Why do you think Morpurgo chose this structure?
- Sergeant Hanley calls Charlie a coward. Tommo calls him the bravest person he knows. Which view does the novel support? How?
- The reader discovers Charlie's fate gradually. How does Morpurgo manage this revelation to maximise its emotional impact?
KS3 Quiz |
Teaching ResourceRunning an Effective Guided Reading Session
The most effective guided reading sessions are conversations, not interrogations. The teacher's role is to facilitate discussion, not to test retrieval. Aim for at least two children contributing to each question before moving on. Explicitly model the habit of returning to the text — 'Where does it say that?' and 'What's your evidence?' should become habitual.
Three questions done well — with genuine discussion, textual evidence and follow-up — are more valuable than eight questions covered superficially.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions should a guided reading session have?
Fewer than you think. Three to five well-chosen questions, explored thoroughly with reference to the text, are far more valuable than a list of ten questions covered quickly. Quality over quantity.
What is the difference between guided reading and shared reading?
In guided reading, a small group reads together with teacher support and discusses the text. In shared reading, the whole class reads a single enlarged text together. Both develop comprehension skills, but guided reading allows more targeted support for specific groups.
Should guided reading questions be prepared in advance?
Yes. Spontaneous questions tend to default to retrieval (the easiest type to generate on the spot). Planning questions in advance allows you to include inference, language analysis and higher-order thinking questions that develop the full range of comprehension skills.
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