Factual, or explicit, questions are answered with information stated directly from the text. Students need to be able to answer factual questions to check that they are understanding basic ideas from the text. This is the foundational skill upon which all other questions are built. Once students are able to answer factual questions, they can then learn how to use textual evidence to make inferences, and to think critically. This page includes intervention strategies that you can use to support your students' ability to ask and answer factual questions. As you read, consider how you can teach your students the question-asking skills that best align with their strengths and needs in the whole-learner domains.
Explicit Instruction
To support your students' understanding of asking and answering factual questions, you should start by explicitly teaching this concept. This sounds like:
Explain the Skill/Concept. Define factual questions, and explain the activity. ("Factual, or explicit, questions can be answered with information stated directly from the text. It is important to ask and answer factual questions so that we are sure that we understand what we read. It also helps us learn to use text evidence to back up our answers." "Today, we are going to learn how to ask and answer factual questions as we read." )
Model Skill with Examples. Think aloud about how you ask and answer factual questions as you read. ("Watch as I read this line and share my thinking with you: 'Toad ran to Frog's house. (Teacher pauses- Where is Toad running? Oh, to Frog's house.) 'Frog, Frog,' cried Toad, 'taste these cookies that I have made'. (Teacher pauses- What is he bringing to Frog? He's bringing cookies.) " While I was reading, I asked two factual questions. I asked who was running, and I asked what he was bringing to Frog. Asking and answering factual questions helps me make sure I am keeping track of important parts of the story. Asking these questions also helps me check that I am understanding the text as I go. If I couldn't answer a question, I could go back and reread.)
Model Skill with Non-Examples. Think aloud about how to read without asking and answering factual questions. ("If I read that line without asking myself factual questions, I might be confused later on. I might wonder who ran to whose house, and I might wonder why he ran to go get Frog.")
Practice the Skill. Engage in teaching students to ask and answer specific questions, providing feedback as necessary. ("Now you try asking and answering factual questions as you read.")
Look at the following document to see how you might teach students to ask and answer factual questions in narrative and informational texts:
Factual Questions Resource PDF
Wilson, A. (2016). Asking and answering factual questions. Copyright at Relay GSE. New York, NY: Relay Graduate School of Education.
Teaching Factual Questions in Action
To learn about how to ask and answer factual questions, start by reading the following excerpt from Frog and Toad Together, by Arnold Lobel.
Lobel, A. (1979). Frog and toad together. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
Now, look at the following lesson plan to see an exemplar lesson plan that teaches students how to ask and answer factual questions.
Wilson, A. (2016). Factual questions lesson plan. Copyright at Relay GSE. New York, NY: Relay Graduate School of Education.
Think about the following scenario, which takes place after a teacher has explicitly taught students to ask and answer factual questions and given them multiple opportunities to practice. Refer to the Frog and Toad Together text above.
Teacher: "Is this a factual question or not: Who baked cookies? If so, tell me the answer."
Student: "Yes, it is. Frog did."
In such a case, what might you do?
When you are planning your lessons, you should anticipate that your student will make errors throughout. Here are a series of prompts that you can use to respond to errors. Keep in mind that all students are different, and that students might respond better to some types of feedback than others.
| Level of Support | Description of Scaffold | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Smallest Scaffold | Try again! Allows student multiple opportunities to practice new skill. You are trying to determine whether the student needs to be retaught the skill or just needs an opportunity to try again. | "You are right, it is a factual question. Try again to find the answer— point to the answer in the book." |
| Medium Scaffold | Provide Resources. Allows the student to use resources to figure out the answer (including helpful supports such as a visual or a prompt).
For example, Give a Prompt.Prompt the student to go back and reread a specific section or page. |
"A factual question means we can find the answer in the book. Go back to this paragraph and reread. Then, tell me who baked cookies." |
| Highest Scaffold | Rewind. If students aren't understanding how to use one of the strategies you've provided, then go back and explicitly reteach the activity, and practice using the student's text. | "Let me show you how I know this is a factual question." (Teacher rereads aloud from the beginning.) "Look, I can put my finger on the answer. It says, Toad baked some cookies. So, the answer must be Toad." |
If your student struggles to meet your objective, there are various techniques that you might try to adjust the activity so as best to meet your student's needs.
| Activity | Description of Strategy | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Factual Questions |
Make it Move. Have students point to the answers in the text to show that they can use textual evidence to answer them. Simplify. If students aren't able to answer more complex factual questions, then start by asking a question that only requires a student to find a character's name. |
"Put your finger on your text evidence." "Who ran to Frog's house? Show me where you found that answer." |