Instruction AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT Featuring Jill Colyer and Jennifer Watt FEATURED RESOURCE What inspired you to focus on inquiry-based learning as the central approach for these materials, and how did you ensure that each level is developmentally appropriate while still building students’ inquiry skills year to year? Jennifer: As classroom teachers and teacher-coaches, we saw firsthand how adding more inquiry-based learning encourages students to become autonomous learners, exploring their own curiosities, thinking for themselves, and connecting to real-world context while building foundational academic skills in literacy and numeracy in parallel with skills such as questioning, investigating, communicating, and reflecting on conclusions. How can teachers effectively assess student learning in an inquiry-based classroom, and what strategies or examples do you highlight to make assessment meaningful? Jill: Assessment of inquiry is integrated into learning and focuses on student thinking and strategy use. Student “learning journals” help teachers track growth in reasoning, not just correct answers. Exit tickets with prompts such as “What is challenging about gathering information?” or “Which sources are credible and why?” assess emerging skills. Quick 1–3 minute check-ins help reveal how students choose strategies or support claims with evidence. There are multiple process-focused rubrics in the book that assess questioning, curiosity, use of evidence, problem solving, and collaboration. Self-checks and peer feedback protocols further support improvement and help build a thinking classroom where ideas continually evolve. How does inquiry-based learning change the way students engage with content compared with traditional instruction, and what are some ways teachers can foster deeper engagement? Jennifer: Inquiry learning shifts students from consumers of knowledge to constructors of understanding. Through questioning, investigating, and making sense of information, they pursue answers connected to curriculum goals. Content becomes a tool for solving problems rather than an endpoint. With teacher guidance, students make developmentally appropriate decisions about how to explore important ideas in the curriculum and show learning. Inquiry invites multiple perspectives instead of a single right answer, making reasoning central. Teachers foster deeper engagement by using strong provocations, teaching students to ask better questions, and making thinking visible. When learning feels relevant, and student thinking is valued, curiosity can flourish. How does inquiry-based learning help students connect classroom content to real-world problems, and why is that connection important for long-term understanding? Jill: When learning is placed in meaningful contexts, then knowledge has a purpose. There are multiple case studies in the books that show how students apply concepts to authentic situations, investigate issues that matter to them, and see how ideas work beyond the textbook. This relevance can strengthen motivation and deepen comprehension. When students solve problems, make decisions, and communicate evidence, they build transferable skills. These experiences create strong memory pathways and conceptual understanding. Ultimately, inquiry shows students that learning is not just for school—it empowers them to understand and shape their world. Featured resource: THINQ series See page 46 for details.
