Lesson 49: Who, what, where questions

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

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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? Max and his dad.
Where do they go? The park.

2

Max runs to the big slide.

His dad waits at the bottom.

What does Max do? He runs to the slide.

3

They sit on a bench and eat a snack.

Birds hop near their feet.

Where are they now? On a bench.

4

“This is a fun day,” Max says.

His dad smiles at him.

What does Max say? “This is a fun day.”

Reading Practice — Who, what, where?

Read the tiny story in each question. Choose the best answer to the who, what, or where question. Then press “Check answers”.

1) Story: “A boy named Tim walks to school with his backpack.”
Who is the story about?
2) Story: “A boy named Tim walks to school with his backpack.”
Where is Tim going?
3) Story: “Mia stands in the yard. She holds a red ball.”
What does Mia hold?
4) Story: “Mia stands in the yard. She holds a red ball.”
Where is Mia?
5) Story: “The dog sleeps on the rug. It is very soft.”
Who is sleeping?
6) Story: “The dog sleeps on the rug. It is very soft.”
Where does the dog sleep?
7) Story: “Lia sits at the table with her paints. She paints a sun.”
What does Lia do?
8) When you read a story, which three question words help you find the important details?

Quick Check (10 questions)

1) What does the word who ask about?

2) What does the word where ask about?

3) What does the word what usually ask about?

4) Story: “Sara feeds her cat in the kitchen.”
Who is feeding the cat?

5) Story: “Sara feeds her cat in the kitchen.”
Where does this happen?

6) Story: “Sara feeds her cat in the kitchen.”
What does Sara do?

7) When you cannot remember an answer, what should you do?

8) Which set of questions matches the three big details of a story?

9) Why do we ask who, what, and where questions?

10) To practice at home, you can…

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Exit ticket (student)

I will practice…

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