Effective
Questioning in the Mixed Ability Classroom
Sharon Longert
Often,
teachers are unaware of their patterns of questioning in the
classroom. Effective questioning encourages higher response
opportunities, active engagement, critical thinking and student
accountability.
The first
step to effective questioning is explicitly teaching your
student the following guidelines, skills and behaviors.
Listen
respectfully.
Stay
on the topic/subject.
Come
prepared (complete required reading) and be ready to participate.
Make
references and defend ideas from the text.
It
is all right to pass.
Ask
for clarification when confused.
Respond
with statements such as, “I agree… but I want
to add….” “I disagree because…”
The teacher also has to be prepared to follow explicit guidelines:
Ask
a specific opening question and give students a proscribed
amount of time to discuss in small groups (pairs, triads,
quartets) before beginning the large group discussion.
Allow
wait time of at least 5-7 seconds for replies, then follow
with a clarifying question.
Rephrase
a question if not understood.
Ask
the students to be more specific or elaborate.
Request
reasons for responses.
Allow
and encourage discussion of differences; reasons for implications.
Ask
open –ended questions that have many possible answers.
Keep
refocusing back to the text.
Ask
students to paraphrase other students’ responses.
Keep
a record of who has participated.
Encourage
students to speak up.
Return
to students who pass.
Have
closure by having students summarize a few points during
the discussion.
Now,
for some questions that can be used for a variety of curricula:
In
what ways are … and … alike/different?
What
would you say/do if you were …?
Can
you find an example in the text to illustrate your point?
What
if … happened instead of…..?
What
well-known people are like…..? Do you know anyone
like…..?
What
would you say/do if you were ……?
How
would…(another character, historical figure) view
this? Why/why not?
These
techniques can lead to more engaging discussions that include
more students and can lead the teacher to become aware of
the depth of each students’ understanding.
Adapted
from:
Rief
and Heimburge, How to Reach and Teach All Students
in the Inclusive Classroom, The Center for Applied
Research in Education, 1996.
If you have a question or suggestion,
don’t hesitate to e-mail
me.
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