Teaching Children to Ask Better Questions

For generations, homework has meant repetition: sums, spelling, and memorising facts.
But in a world where information is everywhere, the most important skill is no longer recalling answers. It is knowing how to ask better questions.

The new homework is not about doing more work. It is about thinking more deeply.

Why Questions Matter More Than Answers

A child’s first form of curiosity is a question. “Why is the sky blue?” “How do plants eat?” “What happens if I drop this?”
These early questions are not just cute; they are the brain’s way of making sense of the world.

Researchers call this inquiry-based learning. When curiosity drives exploration, the learner’s motivation, memory, and understanding grow dramatically.
According to a 2020 paper in Frontiers in Psychology, children who are encouraged to ask questions develop stronger problem-solving and reasoning skills later in life.

But somewhere along the way, school often trains children to stop asking. As classrooms focus on right answers, curiosity becomes quiet.

Relearning the Art of Questioning

Teaching children to ask better questions is not about letting chaos take over a lesson. It is about giving structure to curiosity.

The Right Question Institute calls this the Question Formulation Technique (QFT), a simple process where learners generate as many questions as they can, without judgment or correction.
Then they sort, refine, and prioritise which questions matter most.

This turns questioning into a skill to be practiced, not a moment to be corrected.

“Students learn best not when they are told what questions to ask, but when they discover how to ask them themselves.”
Dan Rothstein, Right Question Institute

The Science Behind Asking

Why does questioning matter so much?
Because asking a question activates the brain’s prefrontal cortex, the centre for decision-making, reasoning, and prediction.
Neuroscientists suggest that curiosity releases dopamine, making the brain more alert and open to learning. Each question becomes a doorway to deeper engagement.

A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that when children’s natural questioning was encouraged, they displayed more sustained attention and a greater ability to recall new information days later.
Questions are not interruptions to learning; they are the engines of it.

Practical Ways to Teach Better Questions

Here are four ways parents and teachers can nurture this essential skill:

• Model curiosity aloud
  Instead of only answering, say “I wonder why…” or “Let’s find out together.”
  Children learn the rhythm of questioning by hearing it used naturally.
• Create a Question Wall
  Dedicate a space, physical or digital, where students can post their questions about any topic. Review them weekly, and let one spark a class discussion.
• Shift from ‘Why?’ to ‘What if?’
  Encourage hypothetical thinking: “What if we changed the ending?” “What if gravity stopped for a day?”
  This builds imagination and critical reasoning together.
• Celebrate unanswered questions
  Not every question needs an immediate answer. Sometimes the best learning happens while searching.

The Role of Parents in Everyday Inquiry

At home, questioning can be part of daily routines.
A dinner-table discussion about a news story can become a debate about fairness or science.
A walk in the park can lead to questions about ecosystems, pollution, or seasons.

The OECD’s report Let’s Read Them a Story! highlights that children whose parents engage them in open-ended questioning at home show stronger language and reasoning skills, regardless of family income or education level.

Curiosity is contagious. When adults model wonder, children learn that not knowing is not weakness; it is an invitation to explore.

From Answers to Awareness

If traditional homework trains memory, the new homework trains awareness.
It asks children to think like scientists, storytellers, and philosophers all at once: to observe, connect, and imagine.

In the long run, the measure of learning will not be how many answers a student can recite, but how many meaningful questions they continue to ask.