Sunday, April 17, 2011

The Inquiry Process


Teaching children to think for themselves is a process that the teacher-parent can encourage in a variety of ways.  Fostering individual thought is important in the educational process.  A child's learning begins during the process of formulating their own questions.  There are several techniques that can be used to help a child develop an inquiry process to problem solving:


* Encourage the child to raise questions.


* Create a safe environment so they feel comfortable asking any question.


* Be patient while they figure out what words to use to express their thoughts and concerns.


* Remind the child that there are no stupid questions.  Any question is valid and should be treated with serious respect.


* If you don't know the answer to a question the child asks you, openly admit that you don't know.  


* Set an example by modeling the process of searching for satisfying answers.


* Resist the impulse to become an instant supplier of answers to their questions.  Be supportive in helping them find the answer by other means.

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