What would be the best question to ask an ELL at the intermediate fluency stage during guided reading?

Asking about how a character changes in the story is particularly effective for an ELL at the intermediate fluency stage because it encourages deeper comprehension of both the text and character development. This type of question requires the learner to engage with the text on a more analytical level, pushing them to summarize details, express their understanding, and think critically about character motivations and actions.

At the intermediate fluency stage, students are building their language skills and are likely ready to engage in discussions that involve interpretation and personal insights. By discussing character changes, the student not only practices language through discussion but also learns to connect personally with the narrative, which enhances their engagement and understanding.

In contrast, the other questions may not be as effective for intermediate learners. Asking about specific vocabulary words may not fully challenge them to expand their comprehension skills. Inquiring about the main idea of a paragraph is important, but this tends to be more surface-level compared to analyzing character development. Predicting what will happen next can be engaging, but it might not fully tap into their understanding of the nuances of the story and requires them to rely on inference rather than directly connecting back to the text's events and character arcs.