← Answering a Why · Lesson 4 of 5
Ask “What do you think?” first
Before you answer, ask for a guess. A child who has guessed is listening for whether they were right, and notices what surprised them.
In one study, children who made a prediction before seeing a science result learned more than children who did not (Theobald & Brod, 2021). A wrong guess is fine — the surprise is part of how it works. “I have no idea” is a guess too. What matters is that it comes before the answer.
When is the best moment to ask a child what they think?
A lesson is kept once you've answered the question and written at least 8 words. Nobody grades it; it stays on this device.