Bloom's Taxonomy Question Stems

When reading with your child, here are some great question stems that can help you to see what your child is understanding as he/she reads.

Bloom's Taxonomy Question Stems


What happened after...?

How many...?

What is...?

Who was it that...?

Can you name...?

Find the definition of ...

Describe what happened after...

Who spoke to...?

Which is true or false...?

Where is...?

Which one...?

When did...?

Who were the main characters?

Describe the setting.

Can you tell three...?

When did ____ happen?

How did the story end?


Can you explain why...?

Can you write in your own words...?

How would you explain...?

Can you write a brief outline...?

What do you think could have happened next...?

Who do you think...?

What was the main idea?

Can you clarify...?

Can you illustrate...?

Does everyone act in the way that ____ does?

How would you compare/contrast...?

What is meant by ...?

Retell the story.

How did the character feel about...?

Explain what is happening when the author says...

Explain why the story has the title that it does.

Look at the picture. Explain what happened before and after the picture.


Do you know of another instance where...?

Can you group by characteristics such as ...?

Which factors would you change if...?

What questions would you ask of ...?

From the information given, can you develop a set of instructions about...?

What examples can you find to support...?

Think of a situation that occurred to a person in the selection and tell what you would have done.

What would result if...?

Using what you know, how would you solve...?

What would you do if you could go to the place where the main character lived?

If you had to cook a meal for the main character, what would you make?

Write/tell what you have learned and how you can use this information in your life.


Which events could not have happened?

If ____ happened, what might the ending have been?

How is ___ similar to ___?

  What do you see as other possible outcomes?

Why did ... changes occur?

Can you explain what must have happened when...?

What are some of the problems of...?

Can you distinguish between ...?

What were some of the motives behind...?

What was the turning point?

What is the theme of ...?

What motive is there...?

What conclusions can you draw about...?

How would you classify/categorize...?

What inferences can you make...?

What was the problem with...?

What was the funniest part?

What was the most exciting part?

What was the saddest part?

Distinguish between two facts and opinions.

What would be a good title for this story?


Is there a better solution to...?

Judge the value of ____. What do you think about...?

Can you defend your position about...?

Do you think ___ is a good or bad thing?

How would you have handled ...?

What changes to ____ would you recommend?


How effective are...?

What are the consequences...?

What influence will ___ have on our lives?

What are the pros and cons of ...?

Why is ___ of value?

What are the alternatives?

Who will gain and who will lose?

Compare two characters in the selection. Which was a better person and why?

Which character would you most like to spend the day with and why?

Do you agree with the actions of ...?

What choice would you have made about...?

What data was used to make the conclusion?


If you had been ____, what would you have done differently?

How many ways can you think of to...?

Predict what would be true if____.

How can you explain...?

Hypothesize what would happen if ...

How would you improve ...?

What changes would you make to ...?

Suppose you could ____. What would you do?

How would you rewrite the selection from ______'s point of view?

Can you design a ... to ...?

Can you see a possible solution to ...?


Why don't you devise your own way to...?

What would have happen if...?

How many ways can you...?

Can you create new and unusual uses for...?

Can you develop a proposal which would...?