Thinking Questions
“Thinking Questions” are questions that allow a child to respond in greater depth – questions that encourage thinking. Typically, Thinking Questions cannot be answered in a single word.
By asking questions which go beyond “testing knowledge”– inquisitive, wondering aloud questions – you encourage children to do the same. They will follow your example. These questions and the discussions that follow can lead to a deeper understanding of math, particularly when the children do most of the talking by defending their thoughts and explaining and clarifying their views. So, these discussions need not become “lessons” where you do the “teaching” – they are opportunities for your child to express him or herself.
In general,
“How” encourages procedural knowledge.
“Why” encourages conceptual knowledge, especially if “why” follows “how”.
“If” encourages hypothetical thinking. A child must decide whether to act out the proposed situation, or to imagine it and work out a solution in their head.
Multi-purpose Thinking Questions
“How did you do that?”
“What will you do next?”
“If we did it another way, would we get the same answer?”
“Tell me about …”
“What would happen if …”
“What makes you think so?”
“How did you decide?”
“How do you know …?” (how many to take, for example)
“How can you tell ….?”
“How can you be sure …?” (we both have the same amount)
“How can we find out …?” (who has more, for example)
“Could you give me an example?”
“Hmm, that sounds interesting. How did you think of that?”
Special occasion questions
“What happened?” To be used when an unexpected result occurs.
“What should I do?” Or, take the first few steps then ask, “What should I do next?” This can also be used when playing a game as a parent-child team, or to ask for advice when it’s your turn to play.
When things seem too difficult or your child is making things overly complicated, ask, “Is there another way we could do this?”
“Model” your thought process by thinking out loud. This is most effective when it’s your turn. Your child may not always understand your reasoning, but will see how you go about thinking through a problem. Eventually they will reason and think their way through problems, too.
When helping with homework
“What did you try so far?”
“How did you begin?”
“What could we do first?”
“Why did you try it like that?”
“Are there other ways of figuring it out?”
“What would happen if…”
Just a dash, please!
Thinking questions are most effective when used sparingly! We’re not trying to grill our children, after all.
Don’t forget to listen. There’s so much we can learn about how our children view and understand math, simply by taking the time to actively listen to their responses. And if your child gives you the “wrong” answer, accept it as a window into their current level of thinking rather than an opportunity to correct.
All the best,
Rita Wespi
Math Matinee
1648 Mariposa Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650.269.1781 Voice
650.327.6844 FAX
By asking questions which go beyond “testing knowledge”– inquisitive, wondering aloud questions – you encourage children to do the same. They will follow your example. These questions and the discussions that follow can lead to a deeper understanding of math, particularly when the children do most of the talking by defending their thoughts and explaining and clarifying their views. So, these discussions need not become “lessons” where you do the “teaching” – they are opportunities for your child to express him or herself.
In general,
“How” encourages procedural knowledge.
“Why” encourages conceptual knowledge, especially if “why” follows “how”.
“If” encourages hypothetical thinking. A child must decide whether to act out the proposed situation, or to imagine it and work out a solution in their head.
Multi-purpose Thinking Questions
“How did you do that?”
“What will you do next?”
“If we did it another way, would we get the same answer?”
“Tell me about …”
“What would happen if …”
“What makes you think so?”
“How did you decide?”
“How do you know …?” (how many to take, for example)
“How can you tell ….?”
“How can you be sure …?” (we both have the same amount)
“How can we find out …?” (who has more, for example)
“Could you give me an example?”
“Hmm, that sounds interesting. How did you think of that?”
Special occasion questions
“What happened?” To be used when an unexpected result occurs.
“What should I do?” Or, take the first few steps then ask, “What should I do next?” This can also be used when playing a game as a parent-child team, or to ask for advice when it’s your turn to play.
When things seem too difficult or your child is making things overly complicated, ask, “Is there another way we could do this?”
“Model” your thought process by thinking out loud. This is most effective when it’s your turn. Your child may not always understand your reasoning, but will see how you go about thinking through a problem. Eventually they will reason and think their way through problems, too.
When helping with homework
“What did you try so far?”
“How did you begin?”
“What could we do first?”
“Why did you try it like that?”
“Are there other ways of figuring it out?”
“What would happen if…”
Just a dash, please!
Thinking questions are most effective when used sparingly! We’re not trying to grill our children, after all.
Don’t forget to listen. There’s so much we can learn about how our children view and understand math, simply by taking the time to actively listen to their responses. And if your child gives you the “wrong” answer, accept it as a window into their current level of thinking rather than an opportunity to correct.
All the best,
Rita Wespi
Math Matinee
1648 Mariposa Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650.269.1781 Voice
650.327.6844 FAX
