Using Question Cards as a Questioning Strategy
In today's fast-paced world, being a 21st-century learner means developing the skills to be an independent problem solver. But what happens when students face a problem and need help to get started or hit a roadblock? Providing students with the right tools to navigate these challenges is essential to help them become more responsible for their learning. That's where guided questioning comes in.
Questions to Kickstart Thinking
Here are questions designed to help students take charge of their learning. The questions are color-coded for easy reference. Want to try these with your students? Click here.
Green Question Cards: "Go" When You Don't Know How to Start
If a student feels lost after receiving instruction, the green cards come into play. Green signals "go" - it's time for students to confidently begin their work. These questions help them understand the problem and find a way to start.
Yellow Question Cards: "Caution" When You're Stuck
Students might hit a snag midway through a problem. That's when the yellow cards are used. Yellow means "slow down." These questions guide students to pause, reflect, and use caution while working through the task.
Red Question Cards: "Stop" and Reflect When You Think You're Done
Completing a task doesn't always mean it's correct. In other words, when they are done, are they really done? Red cards encourage students to "stop" and assess the reasonableness of their answers. This final check helps ensure they understand the solution and aren't missing any steps.
Ask Yourself Three Before You Ask Me
These question cards help students self-monitor their understanding and progress by asking themselves questions. Students ask questions that they themselves have to answer to move their learning along. Keeping these question cards handy in their math notebooks or on a ring can help students become better questioners and, ultimately, more independent learners. Set an expectation with students to ask themselves three questions before raising their hand for help.
Encourage Deeper Thinking with the Purple Question Cards
Want to push your students' thinking even further? Introduce them to the purple cards. These questions are designed to extend their thinking and encourage higher-level reasoning. Challenge those early finishers with one of these questions to stretch their understanding beyond the immediate answer.
Enhancing Small Group Instruction with the Black Question Cards
Small group instruction is another perfect setting to encourage participation and critical thinking. The black cards are a versatile tool for this purpose and would not associate a particular question with a specific color. During discussions, students can pull a card and respond to the question. This strategy ensures that each student is engaged and contributes to the conversation. To differentiate, you can hand out specific questions based on each student's readiness level.
During a math lesson, think aloud and have these questions available. Pull a question card and model your thinking based on the question you grabbed. Then ask students to share their thoughts bout your math think aloud using one of these questions.
These black cards were glued to wooden sticks and stored in a container for ease of use.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD QUESTION CARDS
Building a Culture of Curiosity and Questioning
These questions are just the beginning. As students become more comfortable with self-questioning and exploring deeper meanings, they can begin to generate their own questions. Adding these student-generated questions to your collection will only enrich the learning experience. Click the image below to grab a set of questioning cards for students!
Want to try these questioning cards with your students? Click the image below!
