Questions for Thinking: Ask increasingly challenging questions to improve questioning (Socratic questions)

Questions for Thinking: Ask in increasingly challenging questions - Socratic questions

It is usual to begin questioning with easily, literal 'Do you know? type questions, then to lead on to increasingly challenging open-ended questions, a method called Socratic.

Questions become Socratic when they are genius invitations to enquiry; for examples, 'What do you think?'. They differ from random open-ended questioning in that they follow a pattern. Socratic questions urge student to probe or 'dig deep', and to think clearly about the concept they use to explain the word.

Socratic questions begin with a simple, literal questions such as 'What is butterfly?', through analytical questions such as  'How does a butterfly differ from a bird?', and on to more abstract or conceptual questions such as 'So what defines an insect?'.

Question that seek clarification
* What is ...?
* Can you explain that ...?
* What does x mean ...?
* Can you give me and example of ...?
* Does anyone have a question to ask ...?

Questions that probe reasons and evidence
* Why do you think that ...?
* How do we know that ...?
* What are your reasons ...?
* Do you have evidence ...?
* Can you give me an example/counter-example ...?

Questions that explore alternative views
* Can you put it another way ...?
* Is there another point of view ...?
* What if someone were to suggest that ...?
* What would someone who disagree with you say ...?
* What is the difference between those views/ideas ...?

Questions that test implications and consequence
* What follows (or what can we work out) from what you say ...?
* How does x differ from y ...?
* What would be the consequences of that ...?
* How could you test to see if it was true ...?

Questions about the concept or key idea
* What is the concept or key idea?
* How would you now define ...?
* Where have we got to/who can summarise so far ...?
* Are we any closer to answering the question/problem ...?
* What do we still need to find out?

Reference: Fisher, Robert. (2009) Creative dialogue : talk for thinking in the classroom. London : Routledge, pp 32-33.

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