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Child Development & Early Education vocabulary · Language and Communication

Open-ended question

Meaning in child development & early education, with examples

nounCore term

In child development & early education, open-ended question means: A question with many possible answers, such as 'What do you think will happen?', which invites a child to think and talk rather than just say yes or no.

In Turkish: açık uçlu soru

How it is used

A key skill in early years training and in observations of staff practice. It is usually contrasted with closed questions ('What colour is it?'). Staff use open-ended questions to extend play and conversation.

Example sentences

  1. Instead of 'Is it a car?', try an open-ended question like 'Tell me about your model.'

  2. Open-ended questions gave the children a chance to explain their ideas.

Common collocations

  • ask open-ended questions
  • closed question
  • extend thinking
  • wonder aloud
  • sustained shared thinkingA conversation in which an adult and a child, or two children, think together over time to solve a problem, explain an idea or develop a story, each adding to the other's thinking.
  • scaffoldingSupport that an adult gives a child to complete a task they cannot yet do alone, such as hints, questions or showing one step, which is reduced as the child becomes more able.
  • expressive languageA child's ability to use language to communicate, through words, sentences, gestures or signs, in order to ask for things, share ideas and describe events.
  • language developmentThe process by which children learn to understand and use language, from crying and babbling to words, sentences and conversation.

More terms: Language and Communication

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