Lesson 49: Who, what, where questions

📖 READING (40 Lessons) • 🔵 B. Understanding Stories

← Back to Level 1

Objective

Ask and answer simple who, what, and where questions about short stories.

Materials

Mini-lesson — Using who, what, and where

When you read a story, you can ask questions to understand it better.

Three very helpful question words are:

  • Who — asks about the person or character in the story.
  • What — asks about the action or thing that happens.
  • Where — asks about the place where it happens.

Here is how they sound in a story:

  • “Who is in the story?” → The boy and his dog.
  • “What did they do?” → They played in the yard.
  • “Where did they play?” → In the yard.

When you read, you can:

  • Read a small part of the story.
  • Ask yourself: “Who is here? What are they doing? Where are they?”
  • Look back at the words and pictures to find the answer.

Remember: who is the person, what is the action, and where is the place.

Picture strip: Who, what, where cards

Cards showing who, what, and where questions Three small cards: a person for who, an action arrow and ball for what, and a house with a tree for where. Who? What? Where? who? person what? action where? place

Guided Practice — Mini-book: Little Park Trip

How to use this mini-book:

  • First, read each page slowly.
  • After each page, ask:
    • “Who is here?”
    • “What is happening?”
    • “Where are they?”
  • Point to the words or picture that show the answer.

After reading, choose one page and write three sentences: one answer for who, one for what, and one for where.

Question words
who? what? where? character action place

Tip: If you forget, say: “Who is it? What do they do? Where are they?”

Mini-Book: Little Park Trip

1

Max and his dad go to the park.

They walk past trees and a pond.

Who is in the story?
Where do they go?

2

Max runs to the big slide.

His dad waits at the bottom.

What does Max do?

3

They sit on a bench and eat a snack.

Birds hop near their feet.

Where are they now?

4

“This is a fun day,” Max says.

His dad smiles at him.

What does Max say?

Drag & Drop — Who, what, where?

Read the tiny story on each card. Then drag the best answer into the empty box. Sometimes you are finding who, sometimes what, and sometimes where.

A boy named Tim walks to school with his backpack.

Question: Who is the story about?

Tim his backpack the school

A boy named Tim walks to school with his backpack.

Question: Where is Tim going?

to school to the park to the shop

Mia stands in the yard. She holds a red ball.

Question: Who is standing in the yard?

Mia the yard the red ball

Mia stands in the yard. She holds a red ball.

Question: What does Mia do?

holds a red ball runs inside feeds the dog

The dog sleeps on the rug. It is very soft.

Question: Who is sleeping?

the dog the rug the baby

The dog sleeps on the rug. It is very soft.

Question: Where does the dog sleep?

on the rug in the car in the tree

Lia sits at the table with her paints. She paints a sun.

Question: What does Lia do?

paints a sun eats a snack reads a book

Lia sits at the table with her paints. She paints a sun.

Question: Where does Lia sit?

at the table on the bus in the yard

Ben and Ava read a book under a tree.

Question: Who is reading the book?

Ben and Ava the teacher the dog

Ben and Ava read a book under a tree.

Question: Where are they reading?

under a tree in the classroom on the bus

Quick Check (5 questions)

What does the word who ask about?

What does the word where ask about?

What does the word what usually ask about?

Why is it helpful to ask who, what, and where questions?

What is a good way to practice at home?

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Exit ticket (student)

I will practice…

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