Introduction
Part 1: Using Questions in Classroom Interest Areas
Chapter 1: Dramatic Play Area
Chapter 2 : Block Area
Chapter 3: Mathematics/Manipulatives Area.
Chapter 4: A Makerspace in the Science Area
Chapter 5: Writing Area
Chapter 6: Art Area
Part 2: Using Questions During Other Parts of the Daily Routine
Chapter 7: Class Meetings
Chapter 8: Read-Alouds
Chapter 9: Exploring and Making Music
Chapter 10: Large Motor Activities
Chapter 11: Outdoors
Chapter 12: Mealtimes
Part 3: More Learning Opportunities with Questions
Chapter 13: Supporting Emotional Development During the First
Months of School
Chapter 14: Kickstarting the School Year: Exploring Change Through
Long-Term Studies
Chapter 15: Using Featured Materials
Chapter 16: Multiday Explorations
Chapter 17: Supporting Children’s Understanding About Diversity
Chapter 18: Making the Most of Classroom Displays
Chapter 19: Documenting Children’s Learning
Part 4: Resources
References
Acknowledgments
About the Authors About the Contributors
Janis Strasser, EdD, is a teacher educatorand coordinator of the
MEd in Curriculum and Learning Early Childhood concentration at
William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. She has worked in
the field of early childhood for more than 40 years.
Lisa Mufson Bresson, MEd, is a technical assistance supervisor for
Grow NJ Kids, New Jersey’s statewide Quality Rating Improvement
System for early childhood programs. She previously taught in urban
public preschool settings for 13 years.
For anyone eager to become more adept at engaging children in
meaningful conversations, Big Questions for Young Minds provides a
clear and relevant guide to the craft of asking high-level
questions to support development of critical thinking skills.
Teachers, coaches, mentors, directors, providers of professional
development, and families will find this book an invaluable
resource.
—Polly Smith, Early Childhood Consultant and Mentor of
Directors
Finally, a resource to help teachers develop and ask questions that
encourage children to think, imagine, and generate ideas! Strasser
and Bresson show how to build on what children know by asking
questions that support rather than derail their play and
exploration. This gem of a book should be in every classroom.
—Beth Graue, Sorenson Professor of Early Childhood Education,
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Listening, questioning, and learning are essential ingredients to
good decision making. This contribution by Strasser and Bresson
will help ensure that educators won’t wait until children are in
high school before asking them high-level, thought-provoking
questions.
—Vincent J. Costanza, Superintendent in Residence, Teaching
Strategies, LLC
As a teacher with more than 15 years of experience in early
childhood education, I found this book to be practical, inclusive,
and culturally relevant. I highly recommend Big Questions to
educators who are looking for a resource that bridges the gap
between theory and practice.
—Dawn M. Durham, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, Passaic, NJ
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