One questioning technique involves approaching a text with a specific learning goal in mind. Readers who actively seek certain facts from a text read with purpose and have a way to decide how much time they should spend on a given text. Help students set goals before they start reading by asking them to formulate one to three questions about the chapter or story they are about to read. To develop more advanced reading and research skills, give students a short bibliography and let them decide how much or little they need to read to find what they are seeking.
Another way active readers can engage with a text is by constructing hypothetical alternatives to the ideas or stories they read about. After introducing students to a topic or story, or after they have read the first sections, spend time asking "what if..." and "I wonder..." questions together. This will help the students explore the scope of the topic and come to the text with a set of expectations, interests and desires.
As students read, have them stop every so often and predict what will come next in a story or argument. This will train them to watch for patterns and actively draw conclusions about where the text has been and where it is going. This exercise can be written, with students keeping logs of their predictions every few pages, or oral, with students taking a break from reading at set intervals to discuss their ideas with the teacher or one another.
Perhaps the type of questioning that is most helpful in developing intellectual curiosity is the questioning that happens after a student has read a text. After completing a reading, take time to discuss what questions the students still have. This is the active reader's equivalent of a scientist defining further research questions in an experiment's write-up. Students who learn to formulate and pursue their remaining questions after finishing one book will be well-equipped to keep seeking out and engaging with new ideas.