Open-ended questions (those commonly starting with what, why, how) are often used in early childhood as a way to support and facilitate thinking and discussions with children. While these are more effective than a closed question usually resulting in a yes/no answer… open ended questions, I feel could be better… even more effective hence promoting greater learning outcomes for children.
If we think of open ended question starters, but also consider reflective type language then we can
ask questions that not only elicit a response but one that supports children in thinking more critically, creatively and possibly considering things they have not before.
For example, open-ended reflective questions could start with;
- I wonder how…
- I wonder what would happen….
- I think / feel this is important….
- If we consider….
- Lets think about….
- When we discussed/ explored this the other day……
- Let’s explore / investigate….
If we really want children to become creative, critical and divergent thinkers then we, the educators also need to consider how we ask the question, how we present and maintain the conversation. Not only will we challenge and extend learning but also make this learning process an exciting one!
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