Ěý“The art and science behind questions is the source of all knowledge” –Thomas Berger, novelist

On occasion, I remember to ask my husband questions like, “If you had to write a book, would you write a science fiction novel or historical drama?” Such a question invariably leads to a series of other questions, which then leads to a rabbit hole of sorts in which I discover answers to questions that I had no idea I wanted to ask.

And so begins a blog about questions.

We know from experience that questions can make us squirm, laugh, cry and dance. Questions can make us ask, “What’s the difference?” or “Why are you asking?”. We know that questions rarely result in a complete lack of new information, as even a silent reply is telling. But what is the difference between questions that truly engage and questions that shut things down?

For young inquisitive minds, the right question can ignite imagination, inspire surprising solutions, and validate multi-faceted perspectives that strengthen their purpose and place in the world. No matter where they are or who they are in conversation with, the right question can be the sorcerer for a special kind of magic.

For the gifted learner who is exploring truly challenging curriculum, posing what are known as closed questions can be likened to offering a friend who is thirsty a tall 32 ounce glass of salt. Although these closed (or “skinny”) questions can be utilized for a number of valid purposes, they can’t provide a direct pathway to reflection and discovery. Furthermore, aĚý key difference between closed and open questions is that, short of providing what would be considered an incorrect answer, closed questions offer little to no opportunity for a variety of responses. Therefore, regardless of sophistication of topic or theme, closed questions leave no room for the wellspring of one’s being: expression of self.

As an early career teacher, I thought that anything I asked introduced by a what, how, or why qualified as an open question. If I didn’t get a Yes/No answer, I thought I was doing alright. However, I came to find out (think about that expression for a second) that both open and closed questions can have similar interrogative constructions. It is only by considering a question’s versatility as a tool for empowered learning that a student can explore possibilities beyond what is expected and known. Therein lies the art and science of questioning.

Below are examples of open-ended questions taken from an article that I like called , by Glenda Pearce. In it she delves into the why and what-for of investigative strategies, and explores six categories of Socratic questioning as conceived of by fellow author Dr. Richard Paul:

Questions of clarification

What do you mean by that?

Can you give me an example?

Questions that probe assumptions

What is being assumed?

Why would somebody say that?

Questions that probe reason and evidence

What are your reasons for saying that?

What criteria do you base that argument on?

Questions that probe implications and consequences

What might be the consequences of behaving like that?

Do you think you might be jumping to conclusions?

Questions about viewpoints or perspectives

What would be another way of saying that?

How do Maria’s ideas differ from Peter’s?

Questions about the question

How is that question going to help us?

Can you think of any other questions that might be useful?

If you found these questions to be compelling, you can find additional illuminated strategies .

In closing, I would like to offer a final question for possible exploration in future posts: Why is it, when we ask questions inviting deep thought, can they seemingly fail to give us the answers we had hoped for?

Until then, I take comfort in knowing that when a question is asked, an answer exists, even if down in a rabbit hole.

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Mark Erlandson, the parent of a gifted student who presently attends a boarding school out East, is a former lawyer and public high school English teacher from Wisconsin starting a new business as a legal writing consultant.

Grit. I’ll admit I didn’t have it. Twice now I have put this blog down and stopped writing because I felt uninspired and bored. Weeks have gone by, and too many times to count I have ignored that voice telling me the deadline was approaching and I needed to get finished. So how essential is grit to success, and more importantly, how do we teach our children to get it?

“Grit,” otherwise known as persistence or determination, is currently a passion (some would call it a fad) in certain educational circles today. Angela Duckworth, a University of Pennsylvania psychologist, is a leading advocate of the importance of tenacity in life. Watch for a fascinating explanation of the results of her research in the area. Basically, she concludes, based, among other things, on her research of West Point graduates and National Spelling Bee contestants, that what correlates with success most is grit, not intelligence. Similarly, in the area of gifted students, the most famous study, conducted by University of Connecticut psychologist Joseph Renzuli, director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, concluded that “task commitment,” together with ability and creativity, was, indeed, one of the three essential components of giftedness.

Duckworth believes that grit can be quantified. Her University of Pennsylvania website has a . (My score was a 2.25 on a scale of 1 – 5 ,with 5 being the grittiest, and concluded I am “grittier than at least 1% of the U.S. population.” Ouch, no wonder I can’t finish this blog.)

So what can we do to ensure our children will have grit when they need it?

First, stop praising your child for his or her intelligence. A Stanford University study found that children praised for their intelligence learned to care more about their grades than about learning on subsequent tasks, and after failing, they were less persistent than their unpraised peers. Instead, praise your children for their hard work and determination. Also emphasize to your children that intelligence can be improved through hard work. Another Stanford study concluded that students who believed that intelligence is malleable earned better grades during the next two years than those who believed that intelligence was fixed. (Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychology professor, has a designed to measure to what extent you believe that success comes from effort rather than innate intelligence or talent.)

Next, show kids the effect of grit in the real world. Everyone, for example, has heard the story of how Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team but continued to practice. Other examples might include Steve Jobs, who failed at several Apple projects and ended up losing control of the company for several years, and Andrew Wiles, a mathematician who ultimately proved Fermat’s Theorem after years of failure. Of course, as always, modeling for your children where you have used grit to be successful may be the best teacher. (Maybe I can get my daughter to read this.)

Watch for when your child becomes frustrated. Use this as an opportunity to discuss the everyday nature of frustration, and explain to him or her that this is an opportunity for growth.

Finally, according to Paul Tough in his book How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power Of Character, the best thing to do to develop the character of our children is to let them experience failure. As he states,

American children, especially those who grow up in relative comfort, are, more than ever, shielded from failure as they grow up. They certainly work hard; they often experience a great deal of pressure and stress; but in reality, their path through the education system is easier and smoother than it was for any previous generation. Many of them are able to graduate from college without facing any significant challenges. But if this new research is right, their schools, their families, and their culture may all be doing them a disservice by not giving them more opportunities to struggle. Overcoming adversity is what produces character. And character, even more than IQ, is what leads to real and lasting success.

So now that this blog is done, maybe it’s time to get that unfinished novel out again and prove Duckworth’s test wrong.

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References

Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of personality and social psychology, 92(6), 1087.

Duckworth, A. L., & Quinn, P. D. (2009). Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (GRIT–S). Journal of personality assessment, 91(2), 166-174.

Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House LLC.

Dweck, C. S. (2000). Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development. Psychology Press.

Tough, P. (2013). How children succeed. Random House.

Lisa is the mother of 3 gifted children and lives outside of San Francisco.

When my oldest son was in 5th grade, he told me a story. He was in the jungle, swinging from vine to vine above a swamp infested with crocodiles. The teachers at his school placed the vines an appropriate distance apart, and he was successfully navigating the terrain. I, however, was moving the vines too far apart. He told me that if I kept moving these lifelines, he would fall into the waters below and be devoured by the crocodiles.

At the time he told me this story, I was pressuring him to put more effort into his schoolwork. He was daydreaming in class and making silly mistakes. He turned in papers with multiple misspellings, although he was a very good speller. He didn’t study for quizzes or even look through his text books when he had an open book test. According to the teachers, he was doing “fine.” I knew he was capable of more. If the teachers would not demand more from him, I would.

I “helped” him proofread his papers and check his spelling. I enrolled him in for math. As he advanced through the program, he became increasingly upset. If he could not answer the questions, he cried. I insisted that he continue. I was making him miserable.

I realize now that his jungle metaphor illustrated a common problem for gifted students: he thought he was smart only if he could master a task easily. He viewed his intellectual ability as something static that he demonstrated by completing tasks quickly and with very little effort. By demanding that he push himself beyond his teachers’ expectations, I was threatening his status as a smart kid. How could he be smart if learning was hard?

My son had a fixed mindset. I learned this at a gifted learning conference in the Bay Area, where I heard Carol Dweck, author of the book , speak. According to Ms. Dweck, gifted students with a “fixed mindset” will see their intelligence as fixed at birth. Their goal is to demonstrate their intelligence. They do this by sticking to tasks they do well and avoiding challenges that might threaten their self-image. Since a “fixed mindset” limits their reach, the goal is to acquire a “growth mindset” in which students believe that intelligence can be developed and improved by working hard. Under the “growth mindset,” learning – rather than performance – is the ultimate goal. Failures are temporary setbacks giving the student a chance to learn.

My attempt at encouraging my son to perform at a higher level was clearly threatening his self-image as a smart kid. Luckily, we live near a school that excels at fostering the development of a growth mindset and serves gifted and talented students. We moved our son there in 6th grade. The school celebrates mistakes and focuses on the process of learning rather than the end product. I recall attending a Physics culmination where the students presented rollercoaster designs. Each student began his or her presentation with the many ways in which the initial design failed. For many of the students and parents, this was the most interesting part of the night. Math homework was often too difficult to complete, so the teacher would use class time to solve the problems and give credit for unsuccessful attempts. The right answer was worth one point out of many. The students received narrative evaluations, accompanied by rubrics, instead of grades, so they always had the opportunity to improve and knew where they should focus their efforts. An A+ no longer set the limit to their learning.

I stopped referring to my children as “smart.” They were hard workers and creative thinkers. They were risk takers. They repeatedly surprised me.

The biggest surprise for me is how this story ends. Next year, my son will be going to a university known for its intellectual rigor. He turned down an excellent school close to home in order to attend a school half way across the country for “true intellectuals who don’t mind working hard for their degrees.” At 17, he moved his own vines.

Have you encouraged a growth mindset in your child? What has your experience been? Please share in the comments section below!

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