When listening to teachers talk with children at UCDC, something you might hear frequently utilized are open-ended questions. Open-ended questions are simply questions with no right or wrong answer. They are also questions that ask for more than a yes/no response, or a content-based response such as "What color are you using?" Commonly, they begin with why or how, and may simply be a request asking for more information, such as "tell me about your..." The latter is one of my favorites, especially when a child presents you with a creation or piece of artwork in which you have no idea what it is supposed to represent. This simple statement, when asked with genuine interest, can spark a dialogue between a child and adult that reveals a tremendous amount of knowledge and curiosity on the part of the child.

How does responding to open-ended questions encourage growth in many development domains of early childhood? To begin, these questions challenge children to engage in creative thought, allowing them to stretch their thinking all while learning naturally. "What if" questions are particularly useful for observing a child's creativity in progress. If a child is building with Legos, simply asking, "What if your vehicle had no wheels?" can offer a surprising array of thoughts about other ways their vehicle can travel. 

Open-ended questions also help to develop a child's problem-solving skills and independence. Frequently in our classroom, children become frustrated when building with blocks that fall over. Instead of telling the children different ways to create sturdier structures, we challenge the children by asking, "Why do you think the blocks are falling over?" and "What could we do to fix this problem?" In the end, children become more adept with understanding cause and effect and further develop their ability to solve their own problems.

As open-ended questions require a longer response than yes/no questions, children need to utilize more expressive vocabulary as they put their thoughts into words. Take, for example, a child painting a picture using the color blue. Instead of simply asking the color, we can ask, "Why did you choose the color blue?" Using the former question we can only receive a single word response. Using the latter question, there are innumerable responses. Each such response can be followed up with more questions to gain a greater understanding of the child's inspiration for that picture. As children develop their language skills, they become more proficient with their social skills. Open-ended questions can be used to help children understand and assess their own and others' feelings.  For example, asking, "How would that make you feel? Why?"

While there are many benefits of asking open-ended questions, perhaps the most important comes in furthering our own knowledge of a child's understanding of the world. When asking open-ended questions, there are a few factors to keep in mind. Children, especially younger ones who are still developing their language skills, will need time to formulate their response. In addition, it is important to show genuine interest and enthusiasm in what the child is sharing with you. Lastly, let the child dictate the direction of the conversation. Not only will the child be more engaged, but also this act demonstrates that you value and trust what he/she has to share. Once accustomed to asking these questions, you will be amazed at how often you find yourself answering children's questions with your own. The children will leave you in constant amusement and, at times, astonishment at their fresh and creative responses to open-ended questions.

Denton, P. (2007). Open-ended questions: Stretching children's academic and social learning. Responsive Classroom, Retrieved from https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/open-ended-questions

Dettore, E. (2008, August 07). Opening up children's minds with open-ended questions. Retrieved from http://web.fcasd.edu/j_district2/images/stories/Early_Childhood/open-ended ?\'s-dettore.pdf

Why is it important to use open-ended questions? (2013, February 04). Retrieved from https://www.newmexicoprek.org/Docs/PreKOnePageResources/20Open-endedQuestionsOnePagerFINAL.pdf

Wilkin, L. (2007). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://aplaceofourown.org/question_detail.php?id=587