What is Mrs. Stevens asking her students to do when she poses reflective questions after reading?

When Mrs. Stevens poses reflective questions after reading, she is encouraging her students to make inferences. Reflective questioning prompts students to think critically about the text, going beyond surface-level understanding. This means they must draw on their prior knowledge, analyze the information presented, and connect various elements of the story to deduce meanings or implications that are not explicitly stated.

Making inferences involves interpreting the author's intent, understanding character motivations, and determining themes or messages woven into the narrative. This deep analysis fosters a more profound understanding of the text and helps students engage more deeply with the material. By encouraging such thinking, Mrs. Stevens is enhancing her students' critical reading and analytical skills, preparing them for more complex literary analysis and comprehension tasks.