Meta- cognitionEncouraging them to ask questions, and to
understand why they are asking them!
Sutton Trust
Follow-up questions for learning Some ways to follow up a student’s verbal or written answer, in a whole-class, small group or one-to-one situation
Probing
Pushing for more clarity or depth?
What do you mean by…? Can you say more about…? In what sense…? What exactly…?
Challenging
Requiring re-evaluation or justification
But how do you know that…? What evidence is there that…? What are you assuming when…? But surely…?
Bridging
Moving thinking across to another example or topic
So would that be the same for…? How does that compare to…? Can you think of another…? When else…?
Reflecting
Asking about the thinking or learning process
When/how/what did you learn…? How did you work out…? Why did you think of…? What have you just…?
Extending
Moving towards greater complexity or difficulty
Could you explain…? What would happen if…? Can you think of other ways of…? What might be the problem with…?
Personalising
Asking for a personal angle or an evaluative response
What do you, personally, think…? What’s your own view about…? How well does…? In your opinion, why…?
Useful Verbs Sample Question StemsApplicationUsing a concept or skill in a new or unprompted situation
solveapplyshowuseillustrateconstructcompleteexamineclassifymodifydemonstraterelate
Can you give another example of…?How could this have happened in...?What would you change in order to...?Can you use this method to...?From the information that you have, can you develop a set of instructions for...?When would this information be useful?
AnalysisSeparating material into parts, in order to understand how it is constructed or how it works
analysedistinguishexamineinvestigateidentifyexplainseparateexploreinferdifferentiatediscriminatecompare
Why…?What is the difference between…?Where are there examples of…?What is the effect of…?What underlies…?Can you distinguish between...?How was this similar to...?What was the underlying theme of...?Can you explain…?
SynthesisPutting diverse parts together to create a new whole, with new meaning
comparecontrast createinventcomposepredictplanconstructdesignimagineproposedeviseformulategeneratecombine
What might happen if…?Is there a pattern in…?Can you compare…?What connects…?What themes emerge across…?How many ways can you...?
EvaluationMaking judgements about the value of ideas or texts
judgeselectchoosedecidejustifydebateverifyarguerecommendassessdiscussrateprioritisedeterminecritiquecriticizedefend
How effectively does…?What do you think of…?How do you respond to…?What is the value of…?Which … do you prefer, and why?How would you change…?Can you defend…?How successful is…?How would you rank...?Would it be worth…?How far do you agree that…?
Higher order
questioning
Follow-up questions and higher order questionsStudent questioning
• Peer assessment- creating challenge questions for each other
• Ask the teacher- students creating questions about the lesson- at the start of the lesson- what do we want to find out?
• Students formulate questions following presentation by teacher/student(s)
• End of the lesson- one question you would like to ask- students could lead this part of the lesson
Entrance activities...
What do you need to know to be able to answer this question? Write these questions down on your whiteboard
‘An Inspector Calls’: was J.B. Priestley concerned primarily with didacticism or dramatic effect?
What does didacticism mean?Who was Priestley writing for?Why did he write the play?
Wordsworth’s ‘The Prelude’
Reflection… Sentences startersBelow your progress grid add a reflection on your work. Here are some ideas to get you started. Try one you haven’t used before.
One success from today is… Today’s work connects with…
One mistake I made was……… and I overcame it by…
I need to remember to……… and I will remember it by…
The key to my learning today was… The key idea I learnt today was…
The key idea I still need to learn is… One failure I had today was…
Something I want to learn more about next time…