Inquiry in the Elementary classroom

The author of this article describes a classroom vignette of adapting to a classroom culture that supports inquiry-based learning. Understanding that children learn through investigating th... See More

The author of this article describes a classroom vignette of adapting to a classroom culture that supports inquiry-based learning. Understanding that children learn through investigating their curiosities, and using their curiosity as a platform for learning is the heart of inquiry. It can be a struggle to let go of control, and exact expectations of outcome to allow inquiry to flourish. This author's experiences mirrored my own, and I enjoyed reading how his classroom evolved to accommodate the rich inquiry learning style.

Capitalizing on Curiosity

I highly recommend this article to newer (and even veteran teachers). This article helps the teacher understand what their students are thinking during investigations. Often teachers do not ... See More

I highly recommend this article to newer (and even veteran teachers). This article helps the teacher understand what their students are thinking during investigations. Often teachers do not see from the point of view of younger children. What may look like "playing around", may actually be the student following their own personal curiosities and attempting to make sense out of their own questions. This creates an authentic and meaningful learning experience because the motivation for learning is created through students’ personal curiosities. Several scenarios in this article are included with dialog/script to illustrate proper ways to guide the student in their "chaotic" investigations. The insight provided by this article will help the teacher to create a learning environment in which their students can develop personally meaningful understandings of concepts by connecting their “play” actions with their background knowledge and experiences.