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Encourage your child to ask questions and be curious by responding with things like “
Encourage your child to ask questions and be curious by responding with things like “Wow! Great question — you must be a very curious boy!” and then answer. This helps the child see himself as a question-asker. See a child’s questions as an opportunity to engage with the child about something he is interested in.
Make it fun for the child by having them discover the objects in a sensory bin or pulling out of a Kleenex box. Continue modeling the question then try giving non-verbal cues to prompt them to ask the question. Again use a puppet, favorite toy (e.g. Minnie Mouse), wind-up toy, or dolls to teach “what is he/she doing”.
An essential part of sparking any discussion and keeping it rolling is getting your students engaged by having them ask questions. Questions allow students to dig deeper, explore, and correct misconceptions.
Starting to ask and answer ‘Wh-‘ questions is a milestone that most children start to reach between the age of 1 and 2 years, and they’ll continue to develop their receptive and expressive language in the lead up to school.
When your toddler begins answering yes/no questions (accurately) sometime between 19-24 months of age it’s like the floodgates of communication open. Especially so if you aren’t getting much other verbal communication from them up until this point.
Large-scale longitudinal studies have demonstrated that the most active period of personality development appears to be between the ages of 20-40.
Avoid answering your own question by giving students a few seconds to form a good answer. Engage other students by having them answer the question of one of their peers. It has been shown that students can learn from other students if given the opportunity to do so.
Students are demotivated by the structure and allocation of rewards. Students do not perceive the classroom climate as supportive. Students have other priorities that compete for their time and attention. Individual students may suffer from physical, mental, or other personal problems that affect motivation.
Pay attention to the strengths and limitations of each of your students. Reward their strengths and strengthen their weaknesses. If possible, set your room in a U-shape to encourage interaction among students. Vary your instructional strategies; use lectures, demonstrations, discussions, case studies, groups, and more.