Once you have a new tiny arrival at home, be ready to be interrogated day in and day out. Why is the colour of an apple red? Why do birds fly? And so many more questions will be bombarded at you to which at times there is no answer. This inquisitive mind needs to be nurtured only if you respond to these questions with an encouraging tone.
Often parents and family members turn down these silly questions from kids with a rude response, making them feel demotivated to ask questions again.
Very similar to nurturing a plant you need the right amount of sunlight, water, and rich soil to strengthen the roots. It is not getting essential to infuse listening skills, communication skills, gracefully accepting and giving feedback and most importantly asking questions.
Let’s begin by answering the main question:
WHY is it critical to Question in the process of teaching and learning?
1. Ignites curiosity:
Seldom questions from kids are turned down rudely by caregivers which hampers the curious nerve of a fragile mind. It may look comforting at the moment but such negative responses do massive harm in the long run.
A child’s mind is as juvenile as their age. Not only parents but also education givers (be it a teacher in a school or a tutor) needs to keep this fire alive. The only way to do so is by encouraging them and not turning their questions down. The ideal way to deal with a question you do not want to answer at the moment: “Can I answer it in some time?” or “Can we come back to this later?”
2. Questioning promotes learning:
Only when a question is asked it means the child is unaware of it. If you answer it politely topping it up with logical reasoning, you just added something valuable to their knowledge bank. This not only promotes learning but also boosts confidence.
On the other hand, questioning the child in return for their question for them to answer it themself is an effective way to ensure that learning is not as simple as a question and an answer. Sometimes, the answer is present in the child’s knowledge bank but needs to be picked out from the clutter.
3. Encourages lifelong learning:
Information grasped through questioning has a hidden interest behind it. A child will ask you a question only if they want to know more about a particular topic. So they have given an idea of where their interests lie. This new information will stay with the child longer as they themselves sowed the seeds of this plant. It’s our duty to nourish it for it to grow greener, thicker and finally bear its own sweet fruits.
4. Fosters communication skills:
Before a child questions, they must have had ample personal conversations within their head on how to put forth the question. Respect that silent preparation time. It is not as loud enough for you to hear and correct, but once they have delivered the question to you, you can judge how well the preparation went. If a question is unclear and cluttered you can infer that the mind itself is confused. Ask them to rethink and frame the right question for you to answer it effectively. This not only enables them to re-channelise their thoughts but also encourages good communication skills.
Summing up:
As a caregiver of a juvenile mind (a parent or a teacher), you need to ensure the enthusiasm to ask questions is active. It not only supports growth but also enables them to think for themselves making them great decision-makers and problem-solvers in life. Additionally, here are some activities to encourage curious minds you can follow to keep the curiosity alive.
