The purpose of Questioning To interest, engage and challenge students; To check on prior knowledge and understanding; To focus pupils’ thinking on key concepts and issues To help pupils to extend their thinking To lead pupils through a planned sequence; To promote reasoning, problem solving and evaluation
Any additional purposes of questioning? Students will… Listen actively Take turns sharing ideas Become actively involved in learning
How do you plan for effective questioning? Identify learning intentions Plan related questions Start with closed questions Lead to more open questions Consider differentiation and individual needs Give thinking time before taking any answers – wait 15 seconds!!
Responding to answers Be positive 99% of answers can be used productively “snowball effect” Circulate Even distribution of students Prompt Why…? Because…? Any additional input?
So, don’t forget… Highlight key questions Ask open and closed questions Ask everyone Prompt further responses Encourage higher order thinking Be positive
Effective questioning = Student contribution Students who… Ask the teacher questions Ask questions of each other Engage in discussions