Open Questions – The importance of good questioning in the classroom

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One of the most powerful actions a math teacher can take is asking good questions and allowing time for students to think and work. Years ago we attended a professional development session that featured Marcy Wood. Our learning was around the book Good Questions-Great Ways to Differentiate Mathematics Instruction in the Standards-Based Classroom by Marian Small. The most significant learning that we took away from the session was the importance of asking good questions. Questions where all students have the opportunity to answer and where the students are doing the thinking. 

One of the ways to ask these questions is to create an “open question”. An open question is framed in a way that allows for a variety of responses and approaches. The same question is given to the entire class and is designed so that all students can answer at their level.

Open questions are:

  • Mathematically meaningful
  • Focused around the big ideas of math
  • Have just the right amount of ambiguity
  • Are not so specific to limit differentiation or discourse
  • Allow for correct responses at a variety of levels 

Create an open question by:

-Turn around a question

-Ask for similarities and differences

-Replacing a number with a blank

-Changing the question

Open Question examples:

    • Two numbers have 7 as one of their digits. But one 7 is worth a LOT more than the other. What could the numbers be? Explain.
    • A shape has an area of 200 square inches. What could its length and width be? What other answers are possible?
    • Choose something you have been wanting to buy that costs more than $50. Imagine you have $30 saved. What discount does the store need to offer before you can afford it?

In the next few weeks, take some time to offer your students some open questions and then sit back and listen. 

As Marcy Wood said in our professional development session:

“There is no silver bullet in education, but if there was it would be teachers doing much less talking.”

By Jen Coenen and Ann Miller