Although reading is an amazing activity and learning mechanism for young children, it will elicit some interesting questions from the children who discover reading. Reading and books, in general, are intended to incite discovery and curiosity for the readers. Providing the opportunity to read for these young students instills the ability to critically think, but the development of this also contributes to inquisitive students.
Addressing Questions
It is best to allow the young readers to ask their questions. Especially if young readers are reading classic books, they are going to be more exposed to deeper thinking and to thematic elements that may be hidden in some literature today. It is important to allow them to ask these important questions. Even if it is a question regarding a topic or thematic element that is more appropriate than their age, it is important to explain the situation and answer their questions. All questions are valid questions for new readers. Although it may seem that your young reader is not old enough to be asking these questions, if they are old enough to think of the question, they are old enough to receive an answer.
Answering Questions
It may be difficult to answer questions if you have never read the book that your young reader is referencing. The best way to answer these questions, that you may be unfamiliar with is to first ask for an explanation or a summary of the book so far. Not only does this provide you context to better answer your reader’s questions, but it also develops the ability of the young reader to explain their reading. It also allows the young reader to have the opportunity to answer the question for themselves by reminding themselves of their observations.