Asking scientific questions
Ask simple scientific questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways including observation, testing, and research
Typical age: 5–8 years
“When your child wonders about something — like 'why do leaves change colour?' — can they suggest how to find the answer, whether by looking closely, doing a test, or looking it up?”
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Needs first
- Asking Questions
Formulating scientific questions builds on the general skill of asking relevant questions to extend understanding, developed in English speaking and listening
- Observation vs Interpretation
Asking good scientific questions requires noticing the distinction between observation and interpretation — a question like 'why did this happen?' only makes sense once you've separated what you saw from what you inferred
- Feeling of not understanding
Asking scientific questions is the science-domain expression of the universal comprehension-monitoring habit: noticing what you don't yet understand
- Persisting When It's Hard
Scientific enquiry requires persistence through uncertainty — the universal persistence habit underpins willingness to keep investigating