The Effects of Self-Questioning on Reading Comprehension: A Literature Review

Abstract

The ability to monitor one's own reading comprehension is a critical skill for deriving meaning from text. Self-questioning during reading is a strategy that enables students to monitor their reading comprehension and increases their ability to learn independently. The purpose of this article was to review experimental research studies that examined the effects of self-questioning methods on school-age students’ reading comprehension and to determine the extent to which self-questioning is an evidence-based practice. This review resulted in 35 experimental research studies that involved teaching self-questioning to K–12 students with and without disabilities. Findings revealed that a variety of strategies are used to teach self-questioning to students. These self-questioning strategies are effective for improving reading comprehension performance across a range of diverse learners and across various educational settings. We provide limitations of this body of research, directions for future research, and implications for practice.