How to Read Mysteries with Your Students

Mystery Genre | Part 2: How to Read Mysteries with Your Students | Remedia Publications
Here at Remedia, we love a good mystery! We’ve found that the mystery genre is a great way to engage students in reading, build comprehension skills, and improve critical thinking. That’s why we’ve put together this four-part series all about the wonderful genre of MYSTERIES!

PART 2: How to Read Mysteries with Your Students


Use this mystery story <free download> from one of our Mini Mysteries books to practice the following steps.


  1. Predict: Have students review the title, the synopsis on the back of the book, the cover of the book, and the pictures within the story. Ask students to write down what they predict the mystery will be about.

  2. Read: You may want to read the mystery to your students to test their listening ability, or students may read the stories to test their own logic skills. A combination of both may prove to be the best approach.

    Tip: If you hand out copies or post the story on your whiteboard, only give students small segments at a time so they don’t read ahead.

  3. Investigate: Ask students to listen for interesting facts and clues.

·      If you’ve given students a copy of the mystery, then ask them to highlight facts that give clues.  Or have students write down the clues and the paragraph or page number they are found on. Tip: At the end of the story, have students go back to their notes and label each clue. Was it a useful clue or a red herring?

·      Have students write down or underline the names of possible suspects. As they continue to read, students can make notes next to each suspect: the suspect’s alibi, motives, evidence, etc.

Why should your students read mysteries?

Mystery Genre | Part 1: Why should your students read mysteries? | Remedia Publications
Here at Remedia, we love a good mystery! We’ve found that the mystery genre is a great way to engage students in reading, build comprehension skills, and improve critical thinking. That’s why we’ve put together this four-part series all about the wonderful genre of MYSTERIES! 

PART 1: Why should your students read mysteries? 

High-Interest
Mysteries will get and keep your students’ attention! No matter what age, your students will want to solve a good whodunit.  Mysteries introduce protagonists like detectives, inspectors, and even pre-teen girls and antagonists from all walks of life.  And because an unsolved mystery can take place anywhere, this awesome genre will take your students all over the world. 

Critical Thinking & Deductive Reasoning
Making Inferences - Using Logic – Predicting Outcomes
When reading a mystery, students must use facts and reasoning to come to a decision or an opinion.  They’ll use logic to analyze the mystery, evaluate possible solutions, and follow sequential steps to arrive at a conclusion. These same steps are required in any problem-solving situation both academic and practical. Students will develop abilities in examining information, exploring possibilities, and sequencing.  
Use our Story Map <free download> to help students come to a logical conclusion when reading.