Why ask questions?
*Spark children’s interest
*For assessment
*To evaluate teaching effectiveness
*To see where students are to set new goals
*Evaluate children’s level of understanding
*Motivate students to seek information
*To encourage children to see new relationships
*To challenge children to think critically
*To help students make personal connections with the information
*To encourage communication and learning among students
*To summarize and evaluate
I studied Bloom’s Taxonomy in graduate school 5 decades ago, but it’s as valid today as it was in the 70’s. Benjamin Bloom developed a hierarchy of assessing thinking that gives you insight into the student’s processing and depth of understanding.
Level Two: Comprehension – Ask students to organize information or put it in another form.
Level Three: Application – Have students use facts, rules, and principles.
Level Four: Analysis – Ask students to break information into parts.
Level Five: Synthesis – Invite students to compile information in a new way.
Level Six: Evaluation – Ask students to develop an opinion or make judgments.
Many times when teachers are evaluated they are criticized for not using higher order questions. I’ve created these prompt cards that may help you improve in this area. You can download them and then cut out the ones that are most appropriate for your grade level. Glue them to index cards, punch a hole, and attach them to a book ring.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljVTNCemZnbUJVMVk/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-n2sk1JhhwMTdf0rxDX2Y2Q
*Hint! Color code the different levels. For example, you could outline level one questions with a green marker. Outline level two with a blue marker, and so forth.
