What do you value more - a good grade or a well written paper?
The art of asking questions is one of the most valuable tools we can give children to help them grow into confident, thoughtful, and capable individuals. As parents and tutors, we all want to develop critical thinking in kids, but it doesn’t happen by accident.
It starts with curiosity, and curiosity begins with questions. If you have a child in the younger years, you might be hearing a lot of questions already!
When kids are encouraged to ask good questions, they begin to understand the world more deeply. This habit leads to better academic performance, stronger relationships, and more independent thinking. The best part? You don’t need a classroom or curriculum to begin. Everyday conversations at the dinner table, in the car, or during tutoring sessions provide rich opportunities to nurture critical thinking.
Why Asking Questions Builds Thinking Skills
At its core, critical thinking is the ability to process information thoughtfully rather than passively. Children naturally ask questions when they’re curious, but over time, that instinct can fade, often due to pressure to find the “right” answer. The art of asking questions helps kids shift from memorizing information to exploring ideas, identifying patterns, and evaluating outcomes.
Encouraging this kind of exploration teaches kids to look beyond the surface, consider other viewpoints, and build confidence in their own reasoning. And when parents and tutors model curiosity and welcome questions with enthusiasm, kids quickly learn that it’s safe—and even exciting—to wonder out loud. In tutoring sessions, I often begin with a thinking question such as “Are you more like a pencil or a school bus?” and see where the conversation goes.
Home Strategies for Every Stage
At home, your approach can evolve along with your child. In the younger years, focus on curiosity through play and stories. Ask open-ended questions like “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why is the cat sitting next to the window?” These types of questions invite imagination and help kids develop early reasoning skills.
During the middle years, kids are ready for more complex ideas and reflection. Use daily routines, like family meals, to ask thoughtful questions such as “What was the best part of your day?” or “If you could change one rule at school, what would it be?” This is also a great time to introduce Table Talk Conversation Starters, a free printable tool that includes 30 intentional questions designed to spark meaningful conversations at the dinner table.
In the launching years, teens benefit from opportunities to explore opinions, ethics, and consequences. Ask them to consider multiple sides of an issue or reflect on real-world scenarios. Questions like “Do you agree with that decision? Why or why not?” help teens move beyond surface-level thinking and practice forming well-supported opinions.
Academic Support Through Questions
Tutors and homeschooling parents can use similar strategies to deepen learning during academic time. When reading together, ask, “Why do you think the author chose this ending?” or “How would the story change if the character made a different decision?” In math or science, resist jumping in with corrections. Instead, ask, “Can you explain how you solved that?” or “What would happen if we changed this part of the problem?”
Encourage kids to ask their own questions, too. A simple practice is starting or ending a session with, “What’s one thing you’re wondering about today?” This builds ownership and encourages children to direct their own learning.
Practical Tips for Parents and Tutors
You don’t need to overhaul your routine to build critical thinking skills. Try these practical strategies:
- Use the Five Ws and One H method—who, what, where, when, why, and how—to guide conversations
- Praise effort and curiosity, not just correct answers
- Model asking your own questions out loud (easy to do while reading aloud)
- Set aside regular time to talk and reflect
- Keep a “question of the day” jar or notebook to keep ideas flowing
Use Table Talk to Get Started
If you’re looking for a simple way to begin, try Table Talk Conversation Starters. This free resource from my site offers conversation prompts for kids and adults that encourage deeper dialogue and thinking. Some are funny and some are serious. I usually ask kids to give one or two reasons why they chose their answer. Whether you use them at the table, in the car, or during tutoring sessions, these questions are an easy way to bring the art of asking questions into everyday life. Your kids might even take turns thinking up a question to ask at dinner.
Start Small, Think Big
Helping kids develop critical thinking through the art of asking questions doesn’t require special tools, just your time, attention, and willingness to be curious together. Whether your child is in the younger years, middle years, or launching years, you can support their growth with simple daily conversations.
Download your free Table Talk Conversation Starters and begin today with just one question: “What brought you joy this week?”
Table Talk: Are you more like a pencil or a school bus? Why? Would you rather explore the mountains or the oceans?