---
title: "Inquiry-Based Learning to Socratic Questioning for Kids | Nookly"
url: https://nookly.com/inquiry-based-learning
description: "Inquiry-based learning at home, from toddler “why?” questions to Socratic discussions: question cards, investigations and conversations made with Nookly."
lang: en
---

Inquiry-based learning, ages 2–10

# A good question opens another d o o r.

Every “why?” starts real thinking. Inquiry-based learning lets kids ask, predict, test and rethink, and as they grow it becomes Socratic questioning. Nookly turns their questions into investigations and conversations, without scripting a right answer.

Start creating: https://my.nookly.com/create/

Image: Ask: a girl and her grandmother exploring wooden puzzle shapes (https://nookly.com/assets/inquiry-ask-ZwR-awYj.jpg)

Ask

Image: Predict: a girl and her grandmother exploring wooden puzzle shapes (https://nookly.com/assets/inquiry-predict-CxYJ2TpG.jpg)

Predict

Image: Try: a girl and her grandmother exploring wooden puzzle shapes (https://nookly.com/assets/inquiry-try-B0eXYtjv.jpg)

Try

Image: Rethink: a girl and her grandmother exploring wooden puzzle shapes (https://nookly.com/assets/inquiry-rethink-Dn1sw9Uw.jpg)

Rethink

Illustrative example

## Start with what they love

Choose a question. Some can be tested; some are for thinking together.

An adult asks · Is that fair?

> “My kids argue about what’s fair. Can we talk about it in a thoughtful way?”

Three possible outputs

- Prompts What makes something fair?
- Cards Fair or not? scenario cards
- Story The Cake That Couldn’t Be Split

Image: Two kids tugging a birthday cake between them while friends watch (https://nookly.com/__l5e/assets-v1/1b7c4d88-25e5-4987-9790-516744482655/inquiry-fair.webp)

How Nookly works

## Made in five steps From child to finished thing, in five steps.

Step one

### First, Nookly gets to know the child.

Before anything is made, you tell Nookly who this child actually is — how they look, who lives in their house, the friends and pets they talk about, and what they are obsessed with this month. Everything Nookly creates later is built from this one profile.

Set up once. Reused in everything after.

- Image: Home illustration (https://nookly.com/__l5e/assets-v1/a774c539-5761-4a78-bcbd-3a952a1a8487/parents.png)
  Home
  Mom, Dad and baby brother
- Image: Best friend illustration (https://nookly.com/__l5e/assets-v1/ff10e1f7-58ee-40ac-b7d8-09380c4f651a/best-friend.webp)
  Best friend
  Chloe from school

Zara, age 5

Image: Zara, a five-year-old in a yellow t-shirt and blue jeans (https://nookly.com/__l5e/assets-v1/c643542c-94ce-4359-a039-8e583a8e3a7d/zara-cutout.webp)

- Image: Interests illustration (https://nookly.com/__l5e/assets-v1/cdbfbdfc-31d7-4e60-a436-8e9d9a0a88be/dinosaur.png)
  Interests
  Dinosaurs, puddles and the colour red
- Image: Pets illustration (https://nookly.com/__l5e/assets-v1/4dc672e4-23b9-43e1-afcc-a919cdcb6701/turtle.webp)
  Pets
  Biscuit, a very slow tortoise

Step 1 of 5

From inquiry to Socratic thinking

## Stay curious Stay curious a little longer

Child-led

Sharing together

Reflect & revise

Dig deeper

Future skills

Voice & choice

A big question

A need to know

Why?

What do you notice? What makes you think that? What else could it be?

Inquiry asks “what happens if…?” Socratic questioning asks “how do we know?” Toddlers test with their hands. Older kids test with reasons.

Inquiry is a conversation, not a quiz. Some questions can be tested with evidence. Others, like fairness, are for thinking through together. Both are worth asking.

Notice (ages 2–4)

Start with what they see and wonder.

Investigate (ages 5–7)

Try it out when the question can be tested.

Use evidence (ages 7–9)

Ask what makes them think that.

Question ideas (ages 9+)

The Socratic stage: weigh views and say, “I changed my mind.”

Learning bundles

## Inquiry bundles Bundles that start with a question

Mysteries to solve, experiments to test and questions to ask. Bundles that let kids predict, try and rethink without being handed the answer. Explore more ready-made ideas in Nookly’s public children’s learning resource library, the Neighborhood (https://my.nookly.com/marketplace/browse/).

**Want one made just for your child?** Subscribe below to personalize this bundle, or create your own around your child’s name, interests and goals.

Open Reading Comprehension Through Mystery Stories (https://my.nookly.com/marketplace/bundles/6ac38e17112b080ffca3cf03)

Story

Where Did the Class Pet Hide?

A classroom whodunit that gets kids hunting for clues and reading closely to crack the case.

Ages 5-6

### Reading Comprehension Through Mystery Stories: https://my.nookly.com/marketplace/bundles/6ac38e17112b080ffca3cf03

Turn reading into detective work: kids follow clues, make predictions, and read closely to solve a classroom mystery. Builds real comprehension through a story, matching clue cards, and a listen-and-guess podcast.

$7.99

Purchase bundle: https://my.nookly.com/marketplace/bundles/6ac38e17112b080ffca3cf03
Subscribe & personalize: https://my.nookly.com/membership/

Image: A girl dropping a folded question into a Question Jar (https://nookly.com/__l5e/assets-v1/61efef54-bc0a-441e-974b-ca6cd6df733c/inquiry-question-jar.webp)

Beyond the screen

## Off the screen Take it off the screen

Questions to explore away from the screen.

1. ### Shadow tape
   Mark an object’s shadow with tape every hour and see where it goes.
   You’ll need: Tape, a sunny floor
2. ### Fair share snack
   Split a snack three ways and talk about what ‘fair’ means.
   You’ll need: A snack
3. ### Question jar
   Add questions all week; pick one to explore on the weekend.
   You’ll need: A jar, paper

### What's in the membership?

Personalized stories and learning experiences, guided by their family. Work toward a learning goal with a personalized plan, or create something for the moment they’re in.

- #### Personalized creations
  Stories, videos, songs, podcasts and activities made around the child in front of them.
- #### Learning plans
  A personalized learning plan, called a Blueprint, supports a goal the family chooses and helps the kid achieve it.
- #### Resources to explore
  Explore ready-to-use stories and activities, with personalization where available.

Subscribe now (https://my.nookly.com/membership)

## Ideas to try together Ideas for learning together

- Image: A curious girl in an armchair holding a starry storybook and gazing up thoughtfully (https://nookly.com/__l5e/assets-v1/67426273-208a-46d1-9c1e-704811015ff7/inquiry-reader.webp)
  Guide
  ### What Makes You Think That? Better Questions for Curious Kids
  Open questions that keep curiosity going a little longer.
  Read the article (https://nookly.com/learning/socratic-questions-kids-inquiry-at-home)
- Image: A curious girl in a detective hat and plaid coat examining clues on a cobblestone street with a magnifying glass (https://nookly.com/__l5e/assets-v1/83721b0d-39cf-4dd1-a92d-ae516e394a83/inquiry-detective.webp)
  Comparison
  ### Nookly vs Mystery Science vs Children’s Philosophy Resources: Where Does the Question Go?
  Science lessons, philosophy resources and personalized investigations, compared by fit.
  Read the article (https://nookly.com/learning/nookly-vs-mystery-science-philosophy-resources)

Follow today’s question, wherever it leads

Tell Nookly what your child is wondering about.

Start creating (https://my.nookly.com/create/)

## Questions? We l o v e those!

### Is this a chatbot for my child?

### What’s the difference between inquiry-based learning and the Socratic method?

### At what age can kids start Socratic questioning?

### What if I don’t know the answer?

### Are some questions not testable?

### How do I avoid it feeling like an interrogation?

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