Ready-to-Use Classroom Comprehension Questions for Primary and Secondary

These questions are ready-to-use.

They are comprehension questions, based on the second level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

You can use the questions as part of verbal questioning or as written questions.

The questions are based around the words ‘Identify, Express, Describe, Explain and Translate.’

All of which are synonyms for comprehension.

You can use the questions as they are, adapt them for your learners, or use them as inspiration to develop your own questions.

Identify Comprehension Questions (Second Level of Bloom’s Taxonomy)

How might an alien identify X?
What helps you to identify X?
What might you need to know to successfully identify X?
What might you need to know to identify specific types of X?
How could you be misled when trying to identify X?
What problems can you imagine for a novice attempting to identify X? How might they avoid or overcome these?
How might you identify X by looking at differences?
How might you decide which things X should go with?
What terms could you use to write about X?
How might it be possible for two strangers who have never met to both identify the same thing as X?
Imagine you were deprived of one/two/three/four senses. Which senses/combinations of senses might allow you to identify X? Why?
What might have to happen to make X unidentifiable?
Who could be most skilled at identifying X and why?
When and where might it be useful to know how to identify X?
Think back to when you couldn’t identify X. What might a story of your learning since then be like? What dramas were there? Did failures take place, or particular successes? What helped you become able to identify X?
What might have to happen for you to be better able to identify X in the future?
How might you break X down into a series of identifiable categories?
What features does X have that help you to identify it?
(Thus – How might the unique combination of these identify X?)
Can you identify the words/images/sounds which might link to X? Why do these things link?
If X was among a selection of similar things, how would you identify it?
How might identifying X be different in different situations?
Could two people identify two separate things as X? How? Why?
Think about the way you have decided X can be identified. How might someone critique this?
Is there a conclusive/definitive way of identifying X?
Is X’s identity unique?
When and why might X’s identity be subsumed by a broader group identity? (For example, when and why does an oak tree become part of a wood?)
Can you identify X from this list? How were you able to do that?

Express Comprehension Questions (Second Level of Bloom’s Taxonomy)

How did X make you feel or think?
What feelings or thoughts did X bring forth in you? Why might this have happened?
What feelings or thoughts might other people express because of X? Why?
Does X make you feel and think different things, or are your feelings and thoughts connected? What are the reasons for this?
How might X have influenced your feelings or thoughts?
How could you use your body to express what X has made you think or feel?
How might you use colour/sound/shape/rhythm/touch to express what X has made you think or feel?
What might someone think of X? Why?
What thoughts or feelings might person A and person B have about X? How and why might they differ?
How might you express your feelings about X?
What is your opinion of X?
How might you defend your opinion of X?
What reasons, examples or evidence might there be to support your opinion of X?
How might you express X in the context of Y?
How might you use Y to express X?
Why might X lead someone to think or feel certain things?
If X changed, how might your thoughts and feelings about X change as well?
How might a change in Y affect your thoughts and feelings about X?
What might the world be like if no one was allowed to express their thoughts or feelings about X?
What might the world be like if everyone could read other people’s thoughts and feelings about X?
How might people think or feel differently about X in different situations?
How could you show how X made you think or feel?
Is there anything which we cannot express ourselves about? If so, why is this? If not, can you think of a situation where we would not in fact be able to express ourselves?
How might you express your thoughts or feelings about X if you were deprived of one/two/three/four senses?
How much of an influence are other factors (for example, past experiences) on your thoughts and feelings about X? How might this be problematic or beneficial?
How might language help you to express your views on X?
How might language hinder you when expressing your views on X?
Where might you be best able to express your views on X? Why?
How might your initial thoughts or feelings about X change following reflection?

Describe Comprehension Questions (Second Level of Bloom’s Taxonomy)

How might you describe X?
How might you describe X through actions/words/pictures?
What effect might context have on your description of X?
How might you describe X differently for different audiences? What might be the consequences of this? What might this tell you about the relationship between audience(s) and description?
How might you describe the changes in X over time period Y?
Can you describe how X changes over time?
Can you give a detailed description of X? What might you need to include for your description to be ‘detailed’?
How might a description of X be different from a detailed description of X? What might be the consequences, intended or otherwise, of these differences?
How might person A describe X?
How might person A and person B differ in their descriptions of X? What might be the reasons for this?
What effect could motivation or desire Y have on a person’s description of X?
Can you describe the constituent parts of X? How does this compare with a general description of X?
How might you describe X to someone deprived of sight/smell/touch/taste/hearing? How might the loss of sense Y affect your ability to describe X?
How might subjective and objective descriptions of X differ? Can any description of X be seen as truly objective?
What would you describe as the key features of X?
Can you describe how X makes you feel? Can you describe the connotations X has? Can you describe the associations with X that you have in your mind?
How might you describe the purpose/design/intention/effects/impact of X?
How might you describe the forces that influence X?
How might you describe the relationship X has to its surroundings?
How might a positive description of X differ from a critical description?
How might you describe X to take into account conflicting viewpoints?
Where might a description of X prove useful?
Why might it be necessary to describe X?
Who might benefit from a description of X? In what ways would they benefit?
In what circumstances might a description of X prove contentious/useful/vital/helpful/unwieldy? Why?
Before describing X, what criteria do you think would best underpin your description? Why?
How might you best communicate a description of X? Why would this be the best method?

Explain Comprehension Questions (Second Level of Bloom’s Taxonomy)

How might you explain X?
How might you explain X to person A or group B?
How might you explain X through writing/dance/drama/speaking/symbols?
What might person A need to know to explain X?
When might you need to be able to explain X?
When might an explanation of X come in useful? Why? What might this tell us about X?
Who might be able to explain X? Who might make use of an explanation of X? How might they use it?
How might interpreting X be different to explaining it? (And so on with a wide range of alternative verbs)
Why might X be as it is?
What can you tell us about the functions or purpose of X?
Can you explain why you think that?
Can you give a reason for that? What might be a reason for that?
How might you explain your reasoning/actions/behaviour/choices?
In what circumstances might it be necessary to explain X?
What might be the most effective way of explaining X (…in situation Y/ to person A)?
Considering what you already know, how might you try and explain ‘new knowledge X’?
How might X affect your explanation?
New information X appears to contradict/challenge your explanation. How might you explain this problem? How might you alter your explanation to take account of it?
Why might there be different explanations of X? What can we gain/infer/deduce from this? How might these explanations be reconciled? How might the differences/similarities affect our own understanding of X?
How might explaining X help you to understand it?
How might X be explained by theory Y/person A?
How might the effects of X help to explain its purpose/meaning/role/behaviour?
Can you explain what happened? Why might it have happened?
How might you explain the connection between X and Y?
Of the explanations, whose do you find most acceptable? Why?
What might X help you to explain?
What criteria could you use to judge the different explanations of X?
How might you assess an explanation of X?
If you emphasise different factors, how might your explanation of X alter?
When explaining X, what effect might context have?

Translate Comprehension Questions (Second Level of Bloom’s Taxonomy)

How might you show X through medium Y?
How might you express X using dance/drama/poetry/algebra?
Can you draw X?
Can you draw your understanding of X?
How might you explain X using different words?
How might you explain X in simpler terms?
How might individuals A and B explain X differently?
If today’s learning was turned into a snappy chant, what might it sound like?
Having drawn together the key information, what might it be like as a Haiku?
How might you translate X into form Y?
How might you translate your learning for audience Y?
What might change about X if you were to translate it into medium Y?
What aspects of X will remain most visible if you translate it into medium Y? What does this tell us about X? What does it tell us about medium Y?
Who might find it necessary to translate X, or have it translated for them, to aid their understanding? Why?
What essential features of X might be highlighted if we translate it into medium Y?
Where and when might it be useful to translate X into a different form?
Why might translating X into a different form help your own understanding?
Why might translating X into a different form be difficult?
What process might you have to go through to translate X into medium/form Y?
How might you translate X using anything you have learnt in maths/science/French (or any other subject)?
What might an equation of your learning look like?
How might you translate X so that it made sense to an alien/animal/plant?
How would you know that a translation made sense? What assumptions would you have to make when translating the material? Why?
How might your understanding of X change when you translate it into medium/form Y? What might this tell us about X, our understanding, or the medium?
Imagine person A was deprived of sense Z. How might you translate X, so they were able to understand it?
Imagine you met a group of people with whom you could not communicate through language. How might you try to explain X to them?
How might you translate what you have learnt into a form appropriate for audience Y? What form might you choose and why do you think it is appropriate?
How might you explain X using gestures?