How do you teach kids to ask good questions? The standards are pretty clear. In K-1 classrooms, children need to be able to ask and answer questions about key details in a text. And in second grade, students should be able to ask and answer questions such as who, what, when, where, why, and how to demonstrate understanding. Many children naturally ask questions and LOTS of them. But some kids, for various reasons, find it more difficult. What gets in the way?
- language barriers
- limited vocabulary
- decreased self esteem
- lack of engagement
- cultural expectations
Several of the children we work with need to be explicitly taught how to ask questions, both when reading and writing. We want them to ask questions of the books they’re reading and the books we’re reading to them so they can comprehend the material deeply. We also want them to internalize these questions and be thinking of them during writing workshop. Why? This kind of thinking leads them to consider their audience when they’re working on their stories. When this type of questioning becomes part of the writing workshop, it helps children elaborate and clarify their writing.
A Culture of Curiosity
For me, it was important to realize that this is a process … an ongoing, consistent way of thinking in our classroom … and that it would take time. It would require a lot of modeling and the invitation to wonder. We asked all sorts of questions all day long, especially since we work within an inquiry-based model:
- How do readers figure out tricky words?
- Why do writers use details?
- What kinds of notes do scientists jot down?
I want the kids to constantly be thinking, What if? and Why? and How? I have a few children’s books that introduce questions, but one of my favorites to start with is Questions, Questions by Marcus Pfister.
Marcus intended for the book to be poetic (and it is), but the language and repetitive format introduce readers to several different question words and the idea of being curious about the world around them. It’s a great book to use when you first want to plant the seeds of wonder and begin recording that vocabulary.
Teaching Kids How to Ask Good Questions
If you teach a primary grade (K-2), you’re often one of the first adults to introduce big things to little people. I used to read the standards and think, “Are they kidding?” Some of the expectations felt huge and out of reach for people who were only six years old. But, as you know, they aren’t suggestions. They standards. And they’re non-negotiable. So you dig deep, you get creative, and you make it accessible for them.
I’m a fan of using toys to teach. If I can figure out a way to bring the stuff of their world into the stuff of my curriculum maps, it’s almost always a win. It turns out each question word rhymes with an animal, and since my own children collected dozens of Webkinz when they were little, I raided their stash to help me teach question words. If you can get your hands on these stuffed animals, they can be a fun and tactile addition to your instruction: bear, cow, dog, hen, fly, and kangaroo. Each animal matches a catchy rhyme and song I made up to help my students learn and remember different question words:
- “Who?” asked Kangaroo.
- “What?” asked Mutt.
- “Why?” asked Fly.
- “Where?” asked Bear.
- “When?” asked Hen.
- “How?” asked Cow.
Teaching Tools
I introduce one at a time (you decide your instructional pace) and then add the question card to a chart we build over time. As I introduce each word, I also teach the children a little song to help reinforce the word. It’s important to explain the purpose of the question and to give examples of how a reader or writer might use it. For example:
Each song is sung to the same tune of BINGO, so it’s easy for young children to learn … especially since there is PLENTY of repetition in each song. (You’ll be singing these in your sleep. You’re welcome.😂)
The mini-posters below dive a little deeper to teach kids the purpose of each question word and to provide kid-friendly examples of what that might sound like in the context of real classroom conversations.
The animals, songs, and teaching charts for each question word help bring the instruction to life. I want these question words to become part of the children’s academic vocabulary and way of thinking. This sense of inquiry is the fuel for their growth and achievement. Since curiosity and questioning are so integral to developing big ideas, I begin teaching these behaviors at the beginning of the year. There’s no time to waste because it sets the stage for so much else.
After the first few weeks of school, everyone settles in and this talk begins to become more and more a part of our daily conversations, leading us to big discoveries each day.
A Takeaway to Share
Above all, encourage a natural wonder and curiosity about topics and the questions will flow effortlessly and with authenticity. In order to be meaningful, the questions students ask should always lead to increased clarity and greater understanding. When you first begin instruction on how readers and writers ask questions, expect a lot of questions … some good, some not so good. That’s fine. Celebrate all questions at first so kids move into the habit of being curious and wonder-filled. As time goes on, you can help them differentiate between questions that clarify to deepen meaning and those that do not.
Resource: How to Ask Good Questions
If you’re interested in the posters, songs, and charts, you can find them here👇 along with feedback and ideas from other teachers on how they have used the resource in their own classrooms.
Happy teaching!
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