Below is a list of recommended questions for the Reading Interview.  You may omit any of these that are not appropriate for your learner and substitute other questions that are more appropriate.  Learner responses may prompt some very good questions that are not listed here.  Mark through the ones you don't ask and write in both the question and the learner response for the new questions you include.  The goal here is to learn unique perceptions and attitudes that the learner may have toward reading and to get an idea of past experiences with reading.  

Section III.  Reading Interview

(adapted by Goodman & Burke, 1987)

Who is a good reader you know?

What makes this person a good reader?

Do you suppose this person ever comes to something he/she doesn't know or understand?

Let's suppose this person comes to something that he/she doesn't understand in reading.  What do you think he/she does?

Why do good readers like this person read things?

How do teachers decide what makes someone a good reader?

If you knew people who were having trouble reading, what kind of help would you like to give them?

What kind of help would a teacher usually give them?

How did you learn to read?

What kind of help would you like to have to become a better reader?

What would YOU like to do better as a reader?

When you come to something you don't recognize or understand, what do you do?

What kinds of things do you like people to read out loud to you?

What kinds of things do you usually like to read best, just for yourself?

How do you decide what to read when you can pick for yourself?

What are your favorite books of all time?

What books do you have that are your very own?

What do you generally like to read best at school?

When do you just read for yourself?

What are your favorite TV shows?

Would you like to read books that have stories like that?

Do you have a library card?

Do you check out books and materials from the library?

How do you get your news about the world, the country, and the community?