Virtual Training Institute Resource Centre
Mary’s Mentoring Messages – Letter 8

When the Roots of Empathy family joins the children around the Green Blanket for a Family Visit, we consider this optimal experiential learn. We are introducing the term 'experiential questioning' to highlight the powerful guided observations that Roots of Empathy Instructors make through questions which relate to the experiences that the children are engaged in, in the moment .

Any of the questions that Instructors ask relate to what the children are seeing, hearing and feeling in real time. There is a skill involved in asking open-ended questions as opposed to questions that elicit yes/no or factual answers. We are not asking questions to find out what the children know. We are expanding their cognitive capacities by asking questions to help the children be astute observers to develop their observational and reporting skills and to support executive functioning skills( i.e., focused attention, working memory). We believe that children's thinking about the question is more important than the answer and that there is no one right answer but multiple perspectives.

Read more about experiential questioning in Mary’s Mentoring Messages – Letter 8, found in Mary’s Mail tab of your Instructor Dashboard.

Roots of Empathy: Freeing up children to learn

Authentic Communication:

  • Practicing authentic communication – asking questions that lead to exploration with the child rather than questions the adult knows the answer to or that prompts a yes/no answer.

Intrinsic Motivation:

  • Intrinsic motivation is fostered in the Roots of Empathy classroom. We acknowledge children's contributions through their questions, comments, writings, and art without judgment. Praise is positive judgment. Criticism is negative judgement. In a group setting, insecure children may be demotivated or fearful to speak up in the group if other children have been praised as they may worry they won't be praised. A 'thank you' or acknowledgement is sufficient.