How to engage your class with questioning

The types of questioning we use in our classroom depends a lot on our class, their ability and of course the type of lesson we are teaching. However, in all lessons and classes there are some things we can do as teachers to make sure our questions support the learning and help the children grow. Here are some tips to help you improve your questioning skills in lessons.  

Use a mixture of open and closed questions

Of course open questions will illicit more in depth  answers, but closed questions have their place as well, they can be important for quick understanding judgements and to warm up discussion. 

Allow thinking time

This is an important one, give children enough time to think about the questions you ask. It can be difficult when teaching and there is a lot we need to fit into a lesson, but allowing a question to sit with the students before seeking an answer can give much better results.

Ask them to repeat their answers

When asked to say an answer again, children will think about the response more. They will probably stick to their original idea but they may phrase it a different way and think about the answer and the question more deeply.

Use follow up questions

Build on your students' answers by asking follow up questions, allowing them to elaborate on their answers with further prompting will support the children in their understanding of the question and also give them a chance to explain possibly unexpected responses.

Using effective questioning in your classroom is really important. For a more detailed video on Effective Questioning Techniques please watch this training video.