OPEN ENDED
QUESTIONS
EDU 280
OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS
Questions that have
more than one right
answer, or ones than
can be answered in
many ways
Divergent Questions
OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS
This way of asking questions:
stimulates more language use,
acknowledges that there can be many solutions to one problem,
affirms children’s ideas,
encourages creative thinking.
OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS
Open-ended questions open up conversations.
When you ask an open-ended question, you don’t know
what the child’s answer is going to be.
Close-ended questions usually limit conversation to a one
or two word response and sometimes the end
conversation.
“Never ask a child a question that you already know the answer to.”
David Weikart, former president, High/Scope Educational Research Foundation
EXAMPLES:
Close-ended question:
“What color is this?”
Open-ended question: “You used a lot of blue on your painting. What
does it remind you of?”
Close-ended question:
“How many teddy bears are on the block?”
Open-ended question: “What are those teddy bears thinking about?”
Close-ended question:
“What’s your doll’s name?”
Open-ended question: “Your baby is so beautiful! Tell me about her.”
OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS
In Imagineering (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980), Michael LeBoeuf proposed asking
questions to spark imagination.
He gave these examples that can spark creativity when faced with a challenge...
 What can be added?
 What else can this be used for?
 What else is this like?
 How else can this be arranged?
 What is the opposite of this?
 What if nothing is done?
TYPES OF OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
To put thoughts into words: Why do you think the little boy in the story was sad?
To observe: What do you see, hear, feel? What did you notice?
To make predictions: What do you think will happen if you keep adding blocks to
your tower?
To think about similarities and differences: How are these two blocks the same?
What makes these things go together?
To apply knowledge to solve a problem: What could you do to keep the paint from
dripping on the floor?
TYPES OF OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
To stretch thinking: What would happen if there were no cars, trucks,
buses, planes, or boats? How would we get around?
To consider consequences: What would happen if you left your drawing
outside and it rained?
To evaluate: What made you decide to pick this book to read? How did
this make you feel?
To assess feelings: How would you feel if that happened to you?
HOW CAN YOU RESPOND EFFECTIVELY?
Wait 5-10 seconds for children to think and
formulate responses.
Allow children to fully answer a question
without interruption.
Show that you are interested in the children’s
answers.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR DUAL
LANGUAGE LEARNERS
Whenever possible, ask
open-ended questions in their
home language.
If speaking English, begin
with yes/no questions or
questions that require a oneword response and gradually
increase level of complexity
as the child’s English skills
develop.
OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS TO HELP
CHILDREN THINK
Extend children’s thinking by:
Asking questions that encourage language development
(verbal, written, and receptive).
Paraphrasing—repeat what the child said. Then add extra
information to keep the child thinking.
Adding new vocabulary. Use new words like “observe”,
texture words (sticky, rough, silky), measurement words
(gigantic, tiny, humongous, miniscule), etc.
REMEMBER:
If you can answer “yes” or “no” the question is not open-ended.
Children are thinking so it takes time for them to respond.
Be sure to allow them this time.