Reflection Log 2: Interactive Questioning
As an assistant teacher for the second-grade class at St. Simon Stock School, I noticed that interactive questioning was a key strategy the teacher used to engage students during literacy instruction. The teacher frequently asked open-ended questions, such as “What do you think will happen next?” during read-aloud sessions, encouraging students to think critically about the text. This approach worked particularly well because it allowed students to actively participate, share their predictions, and connect with the story more deeply. By prompting them to explain their thinking, the teacher helped students build comprehension skills and fostered a sense of inclusion in the discussion. According to Souto-Manning and Martell (2016), such questioning techniques are essential for promoting literacy development in diverse classrooms, as they encourage active student engagement and deeper understanding.
However, there is room for improvement in how interactive questioning is used. While the questions successfully prompted students to participate, they could have been more varied to include higher-order thinking questions that go beyond simple predictions or recall. For example, asking students to analyze characters’ motivations or to compare the story to their own experiences could have further deepened their understanding. Additionally, allowing students to ask questions would empower them to take more control of their learning and encourage critical thinking and curiosity (Salmon & Barrera, 2021).
In the future, I plan to use interactive questioning more strategically by incorporating techniques like ‘think-pair-share.’ This would allow all students to think through their responses and discuss them with a peer before sharing them with the class, ensuring everyone has a voice (Guenther & Abbott, 2024). Additionally, I would use questions that prompt students to connect the text to their own lives or cultural backgrounds, making the material more relevant and meaningful.
References
Guenther, A. R., & Abbott, C. M. (2024). Think-pair-share: Promoting equitable participation and in-depth discussion. Peer-Reviewed Reports in Medical Education Research (PRiMER), 8, 7. https://doi.org/10.22454/primer.2024.444143
Salmon, A. K., & Barrera, M. X. (2021). Intentional questioning to promote thinking and learning. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 40, 100822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100822
Souto-Manning, M., & Martell, J. (2016). Reading, writing, and talk: Inclusive teaching strategies for diverse learners, K–2. Teachers College Press.
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Question
Reflection Log 2 Topic: (Interactive Questioning) Discuss the extent to which the classroom teacher/s uses interactive questions in literacy instruction. Focus on specific examples. Then, answer the following questions using pertinent readings from sessions 2, 3, and/or 5 to evaluate the extent to which the classroom teacher/s employ interactive questioning:
- What do you notice works well? Explain why.
- What do you think could be added and/or done differently? Explain why.
- Reflect on how you would do this in your class or in the future. Be specific.
Reflection Log 2: Interactive Questioning