Stretch and Challenge7 strategies to develop Stretch and Challenge questioning from tomorrow morning

Strategy 1:Use stretch and challenge questioning

Planned questions

Questions that allow students to meet the learning objective rather than random questions

Sequential questions

Questions that are linked/ differentiated as building blocks of learning

Higher Order questions

Questions use the top 3 levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy: analysis, synthesis and evaluation

Open questions

Questions that are ‘open’ not ‘closed’

Targeted questions

Don’t rely on the same small group to answer questions. Choose unusual groups:a. Those who like marmiteb. Those who watched Channel 4 last night

Flexible questions

Questions that can be answered in different ways e.g. in pairs, groups, as individuals, with thinking time

Strategy 2: Consider success criteria for good student & teacher questions

A good question

Makes you think

Sharpens up or refreshes thinking

Challenges perceptions

Generates responses

Energises lessons

Leads to new knowledge or understanding

Helps you find connections

Stimulates creative thinking

Promotes discussion and participation

Engages Offers new ‘ways in’

Good learning starts with questions not answers. Use a question as the learning objective

Strategy 3: Differentiate by Question

Socratic questions are 6 types of question used to ‘draw out’ the student

• Ask questions that surprise and challenge More Able Students

• Give More Able students the answer and get them to find out the question, or get them to think of the questions

• Lengthen ‘waiting time’ to 10 seconds or longer get ‘richer’ responses to questions

• Expect A potential students to always answer in sentences, and A* potential students to always answer in paragraphs to encourage deepened responses

• Use questions to surprise or stimulate creative thinking: what colour is Monday?

Socratic questions:1. Clarify/ Sharpen up thinking2. Probe3. Challenge assumptions4. Offer new ways in5. Consider implications6. Question the question/

generate questions

Strategy 4: Use questions to challenge• Use questions in sequence to:ClarifyProbeChallengeRecommend• Use questions to challenge:Would you rather X or Y... Why?What is your best question about

this?• Use counter factual questions:What if...• Allow the following responses:May I have more information?May I have more time to think?Where will I find this information?May I ask a friend?

Students come up with their own questions to investigate

an issueWhat do we already know?

What don’t we know that we need to know?

What information matters?

What are we trying to achieve?

Strategy 5: Use questioning to generate creative responses

Thunks to make students’ thinkWhat colour is Tuesday?What is 1/3 of love?Is there more past than future?Do insects feel pain?What tunes did Beethoven hear?Is a library a library without books?Which is heavier, hope or despair?Is the internet alive?

Here is the answer: what is the question?

Strategy 6: Get students to question

• Students ask the teacher questions on a new topic

• Students use questions to construct their own enquiries

• Give students question stems to refine their questioning:

i. What if...ii. Suppose we knew...iii. What would change if...• Have a Question Wall on which

students stick questions at the end of a lesson

• Use a plenary for students to write questions that the class then work on together, or which form the basis of the next lesson

• Use a pair of question monitors to track questions: who asks them, open or closed etc.

Strategy 7: Use questioning to promote reflection

• How did you come up with your answer?

• What did you need to know before you started?

• Is your answer reasonable?• What if you had started at a

different point?• Can you explain your method?• What went well and why?• What could have gone better and

why?• How will you use this in your

future learning?• What do you now need to

develop?

Thinking Time

Appendix 1: Higher order questioningAnalysing• How would you group/categorise/classify? • Can you work out the features/structure of...? • How can you show the differences/ similarities

of...? • What patterns can you find...? • What evidence can you find to...? Synthesising• Can you think of a better way to...? • What would you have done if...? • How would you tackle this next time…? • How would you change/adapt...? • Given the choice, what would you do...?Evaluating• How successful was...? • How would you rate...? • What do you think of...? • What makes ... good/bad/average?

Appendix 2: Socratic Questioning

Clarification Why are you saying that?Can you give me an example?

Probing What else could we assume?What would happen if?

Testing evidence

How do you know this?How might it be refuted?

Generating viewpoints

What alternative ways of looking at this are there?What are the strengths and weaknesses of this?

Consequences What are the implications of?How does this fit with?

Questions about the question

What was the point of asking that question?Why do you think I asked this question?What else might I ask?

Appendix 3: Oxford interview answers

What does it mean for someone to ‘take’ another’s car?-GENERATE as many definitions as possible-EXPLORE at least 3 differing points of view- CONSIDER exceptions

What is ‘useful’ language?-EVALUATE the integral components of language-IDENTIFY criteria-ARGUE for the strengths of language in general/ 1 language

How would you design a gravity dam to hold back water?-ANALYSE the forces acting on the dam-CONSIDER a range of suitable materials/ possible problems -DESIGN appropriate mathematical expressions that could be used to predict the success/ failure of the dam

If I were to visit your home town, what would be of greatest interest to me and why?-CONNECT topic areas together-Make COMPARISONS-Make LINKS with other subject areas