Top Ten Tool Kit: Question the Author

Last night I was really taken by the Question the Author reading comprehension strategy. I'm thrilled by any technique that's going to force students into some higher level thinking. Let's recap on those questions:

1. "What is the author trying to tell you?" This is a low-level question in the Bloom's department, but you know what? It's going to get kids to reiterate the information they received. Writing something in one's own words is really helpful for information retention. 
2. "Why is the author telling you that?" Here's where critical thinking starts: asking why. It's really important for students to understand that people always express things with a bias. They have an intention, some sort of agenda, when writing an article, a book, a blog post, whatever. It's really important to understand the angle at which the information is being directed towards them. 
3. "Is it said clearly?" I don't like yes-or-no questions. I think a better question would be, "What did you find most impactful about it and why?" You'll get more varied answers and it reinforces the notion that a student's opinion is valid. 
4. "How might the author have written it more clearly?" Another critical question. 
5. "What would you have wanted to say instead?" I think this is a good open-ended question. Students can mention their own ideas or knowledge on a subject, show how they would write something to a particular target audience, whatever. 

I think this would be a good tactic to use if we were reading an article out of the Hi Fructose magazine, or were reading an artist statement. I would encourage this format if students are required to keep an art journal.