Inquiry-Based Learning

Home ◼︎ Children ◼︎ Study Guides ◼︎ Book Reflections ◼︎ Learning Stories ◼︎ Topics ◼︎ Essays

‣

These pages hold topics, threads, people or concepts that weave through many of the resources on this site. I developed the topics pages mostly for trainings as a resource. I hope they can be useful in your explorations. Many of these topics have other meanings in different settings or traditions. I offer these interpretations based on my experience only.

Inquiry-Based Learning

An approach to education that begins with questions, not answers—inviting children to investigate, explore, and construct knowledge through curiosity and discovery.

Inquiry-based learning centers the child’s thinking. Instead of following a preset curriculum, educators listen closely to the ideas and questions children bring to their play, their conversations, and their explorations. From there, learning unfolds through investigation: What do we notice? What do we wonder? What can we try?

This approach values process over product. It might begin with a child’s question about shadows, a fascination with bridges, or a story told during snack time. Educators respond by gathering materials, creating space for experimentation, and documenting what unfolds. The role of the adult is to provoke thought, extend dialogue, and create a rich environment for investigation—without rushing to conclusions.

In Reggio Emilia–inspired settings, inquiry-based learning is woven through long-term projects and co-constructed curriculum. It encourages children to make theories, test ideas, revisit experiences, and share what they discover in many expressive “languages.”

Why It Matters

Inquiry-based learning honors children as thinkers, scientists, storytellers, and researchers in their own right. It builds critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and confidence. For educators and families, it offers a way to be in relationship with learning—guided not by what we must cover, but by what is alive in the moment. It is a practice of trust: in the child, in the process, and in our ability to learn alongside one another.

References & Further Reading

Katz, L. & Chard, S. Engaging Children’s Minds: The Project Approach
Rinaldi, C. In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia
Project Zero & Reggio Children, Making Learning Visible
Krechevsky, M. et al. Visible Learners: Promoting Reggio-Inspired Approaches in All Schools
NAEYC: Inquiry-Based Learning
Harvard Project Zero: pz.harvard.edu

Glossary

Inquiry-Based Learning – A process where learning begins with questions and exploration, encouraging children to investigate ideas and construct understanding through active engagement.

Emergent Curriculum – A flexible approach to planning that builds on children’s interests, observations, and evolving questions.

Provocation – A material, question, or experience intentionally offered to spark curiosity and invite deeper thinking.

Co-Construction – Learning that is built together through shared dialogue, experimentation, and reflection between children and adults.

Documentation – The practice of recording and revisiting children’s thinking to support reflection and extend inquiry.

Inquiry-Based Learning

Home ◼︎ Children ◼︎ Study Guides ◼︎ Book Reflections ◼︎ Learning Stories ◼︎ Topics ◼︎ Essays