In this lesson we learned the importance of asking questions that will extend children’s curiosity. Some questions require children to give just one answer. Other questions get students to extend their thinking.

A descriptive question has a simpler answer and may not lead to more questions. Examples of descriptive questions might be, "How many rocks do you have in your rock collection?", or "What are the names of the rocks you collected?"

A comparative question challenges kids to continue asking questions about what they are learning. Examples of comparative questions would be "What makes the rocks in your collection the same or different?", "Why are there more dull rocks than colorful rocks?", or "If I find a rock in a river or somewhere like the Grand Canyon, how will they be the same or different?"

Comparative questions are the types of questions we want to ask our children. We want to keep their minds thinking and making connections between ideas.

Children also need to investigate and question the world around them. Find out what your child wonders about and start researching these topics using the internet, library or a museum in your neighborhood.