Questioning

During the year we are working with students to improve the sorts of questions asked. Questions can help us to gain new understanding. Some questions are better than others depending on what we want to find out. Closed questions have a shorter answer, are factual, are specific and do not allow for opinion. Closed questions are good to ask when we quickly want a factual answer. Closed questions often begin with Who or When or Where. Open questions have many answers, can be an informed opinion and may lead to further questions. Open questions often begin with Why or How or What If. At Bluestone we encourage open questions so that students unlock ideas and seek alternative solutions and opinions to develop their thinking. With so much information now available on the web students need to ask questions and use thinking that challenges if the information available is reliable. We encourage you to think about the types of questions you use with your children. Do you encourage children to investigate, explain and summarise? These are skills that need practise and more beyond remembering to understanding.