Decisions Over Decimals

CHAPTER 1Asking Powerful Questions

The important thing is not to stop questioning.

— Albert Einstein

Eighteen months. That is the age, according to psychologists, at which children start to seek information. At the age of about 36 months, this fledgling curiosity translates into verbal questions. The questions can seem countless and random, darting from one topic to the next seemingly indiscriminately. Why does it rain? What is the moon made of? How do birds fly? Where did the dog go? When can we go to the park?

By the age of three, we are naturally wired to ask what are known as the 5Ws and H questions: what, when, where, who, why, and how. These are open‐ended questions, meaning that they must be answered with more information than just a simple “yes” or “no.” The 5Ws and H are information‐seeking questions that spark new ideas and inspire conversation. When a child isn't satisfied with a response to a question, they simply keep asking.

How do adults, respond to a child's 5Ws and H questions may help that child's development and accelerate new ways of thinking. Countering a child's question with another question could motivate them to think critically. Responding to the question, for example, of where did the dog go, by saying “Where do you think the dog could be found…?” could stimulate new answers, spark a fresh perspective, or encourage a different exchange.

As children get older, their questions increase in frequency and complexity, indicating growth in their analytical ...