Socratic Questioning

What is the Socratic Questioning Method?

The Socratic Questioning Method is questioning format in which students answer questions and asked to further defend their answers via higher order thinking questions.
These questions challenge students’ ability to analyze data in order to find answers.
Also challenges students’ conception of idea or material being taught.

Socrates Was the Worst (Best) at that! (HOW)

Socrates taught using a specific method when asking questions and having students find answers. All while acting ignorant to the subject. When getting an answer to question, he’d ask:

Why is that the answer?
How do you know that’s the answer?
Can you show me how or where you got the answer?
What effects would that have?

Makes the Student become the teacher...temporarily.

Why would one Teach That?

By asking questions that challenges one’s conception to the material being taught it can help students:

Find other, correct, or more correct answers in the data presented
Find other ways of finding answers thus pathways in problem solving for similar answers.
Challenge their general understanding of the material by having them defend their answers using evidence in the information presented.

To whom should this be applied?

The Socratic Questioning Method tends to be applied to middle school and high school level students. However, there has been recent movements to do this with students even younger. Essentially, anyone who is required to find answers within a set of material!

When Should it be Use in Reading?

Mainly used as an after reading method
Can be used just as well during reading
Some would even say to use it before reading
- Challenge students to predict or brainstorm about information that will be presented.