Thinking skills can be taught. This helps learners to become more aware of their own learning, and develop more responsibility which will give them the thinking skills to become life-long learners.

The Question Grid or Question Matrix was developed by Chuck Weiderhold, it is a set of question starters designed to develop higher-order thinking. (Wiederhold & Kagan, 1998.)

The Question Matrix is designed for the students to think and act critically about information they are processing. Differing questions are set including who, what, when, where, why and how are asked, but with different endings to emphasise the question.

The Question Matrix is a useful tool to introduce a hierarchy of thinking. These relate to Blooms Taxonomy and is an element that is important to incorporate in education and our questioning strategies. The matrix is a visual representation of how to build stronger, higher order thinking questions. Creating questions with the prefix of examples in the upper left quadrant (level 1) are questions that often require lower order thinking, and produce superficial answers. The goal is to ask the questions at the bottom right corner of the matrix. These questions require high order thinking to produce answers that are deeper than surface level knowledge.

Literal questions such as when, what, where is? or what, when, where did? are questions designed for a student to identify what they have taken from the information.

Inferential questions such as what, when, where can? or what, when, where would? are questions designed for a student to infer or find hints and/or clues from the information.

Extended questions such as what, where, when will? or what, where, when might? are questions to give the students an opportunity to extend on the information read and processed.

How to Use the Question Grid in the Classroom

Thinking about thinking

The Q-Matrix can be used alongside Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory when getting students to think metacognitively about the kinds of thinking they are doing.

Use the question starters to come up with questions for your students that will get them reflecting on the types of thinking they are using.

Here are some examples:

How would you use your number smart thinking to figure this out?

When might you use your nature smart thinking?

Why is it easier for you to learn by doing things?

When did you last use your people smart thinking?

What would it look like?

What would it sound like?

Who is a famous/successful person who uses their body smart a lot?

How will I improve my number smart skills?

Which kind of smart might artists use a lot of?

2.  Question Quadrant

3. Question Grid...Templates

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