Create reading comprehension questions that ask elementary students what information is right there in the passages. These are questions that are answered directly from the reading. For example, asking, "What is the dog's name?" will force children to refer to one specific passage in the text. Other questions are, "Where does the action takes place?" and "What is the setting of the passage?"
Form questions about story elements early in the text. This teaches students to recall early information, and it improves memory skills. For example, asking, "Where was the boy going in the beginning of the story? helps with memory skills needed for good test-taking. Another question is, "Where does the story take place?"
Create questions that propel students to make predictions early in a reading. Questions such as, "How will the main character get what she wants?" help students predict action. These types of questions encourage active readers who perform better on standardized tests.
Ask "think and search questions" in your tests. An example of these types of questions would be, "What was the same about all of the boys in the story?" Another example is, "What kind of neighborhood do the boys live in?" Such questions ask students to use their memory or go back to the text to find the information. Then they must think logically with clues given in the text for the right answer.
Create questions that prompt students to interpret a reading. These type of "author and you" questions consist of questions such as, "Why do you think the author ended the story on such a sad note?" Another question would be, "What do you think happens to the boy and his dog after the story ends?" Students have to look beyond the reading to answer these questions. They must interpret the text and make a logical conclusion.
Ask questions about subtitles, highlighted words and illustrations, if any. This teaches children to look out for these kinds of clues in elementary reading.
Create questions that engage the student with the reading. An example is why did the author end the story with this type of ending. These questions ask students to interpret meanings while they are reading.