Why questions are so important for raising life-long learners
When there is some bit of information that you want to learn, it seems fairly obvious that the best way to figure it out is simply by asking. But what about when there is something that you want to teach?
It might not be as obvious, but questions are a far more useful tool for teaching than many parents realize.
Parents need to ask their kids questions
As a certified know-it-all, I absolutely understand the desire to simply tell your kids the information that you want them to know. After all, it’s so much easier to get kids to notice the “important” things by directly calling their attention to them. But in truth, to do so is to do a great disservice to them.
That’s because kids learn by following our examples, and while the reasons why a certain building is made from wood instead of stone might be fascinating, those facts aren’t what they actually need to learn.
They need to learn to ask questions.
Kinds of questions to ask
Of course, we also need to make sure to ask the right kinds of questions. You’ll hear a lot of people talking about the differences between open-ended and closed-ended questions, and this is an excellent starting point. We definitely want to be asking questions that require more than a simple “yes” or “no!”
But beyond that, there are a number of different kinds of questions that we should be considering.
What? Questions of Observation
The first category of questions that you should be asking is what I call questions of observation. These are questions that ask for concrete answers, and they often begin with what. What color are those feathers? What kinds of plants can you see? What does the bark feel like?
But they don’t just have to start with what. They could also be questions like, “how many legs does it have?” or “which way is that sunflower facing?”
These are great questions to start with because there are concrete and easily observable answers. Coming up with the right answers to “what questions” gives kids confidence and teaches them to always be observing. That’s really important because observing things is the first step in coming up with questions of their own.
Why? Questions of Wonder
Questions are the great launching off point for all sorts of discovery, and it is important that we use them accordingly. It is quite a simple thing to walk through the woods and only ask observation questions. It is quite another to use your questions to call attention to the unexpected and ask “why?”
Almost without fail, once you start questioning why things are the way they are, you’ll find something worth diving into!
Why do leaves change colors in the fall? Why did people build from wood instead of stone? And yes, even the dreaded question, why is the sky blue?
These are the questions of wonder, and while they can sometimes be an annoyance, I encourage you to encourage them.
Unlike with questions of observation, the answers to these might not always have easily discernible answers. You may not know the answers yourself, and it might not always be possible to find them.
That’s ok! Answering the questions isn’t as important as you would think. The most important thing is just encouraging their curiosity.
Before you know it, that curiosity will take them from wondering why and on to exploring how.
How? Questions of Exploration
“Why is the sky blue?” is the archetypal question of wonder, and it’s actually not that hard to answer. It’s because of the laws of physics.
The problem is that shallow answers are entirely unsatisfying to inquiring minds. Interestingly, it is that dissatisfaction that encourages exploration!
Note: This means that not only do you not have to have the answer to your kid’s questions to help them learn, but it can be even better for their education if you don’t! Or at least if you don’t give it to them.
So, where do they go from “Why?” They go to “How?”
How do the laws of physics make the sky blue? How do chameleons change their color? How do vines climb trees?
This is where the fun really begins!
Questions of exploration aren’t entirely unlike the questions of observation from before, and in fact, a large part of exploration is simply observing what is happening. The difference is that exploration answers are often hidden and require research to uncover. When you get here, it’s time to head to the library (or Google) and really learn about what’s going on with things.
Usually, the answer to a question of explorations is tangled up with other questions to explore. Rarely is it neat. But the process of research and discovery is the stuff that real education is made from.
This is exactly where you want your kids to be spending most of their time because in exploration learning feels most natural.
Questions about questions?
Email me at neverendingfieldtrip@gmail.com
