Why ask questions instead of explaining?
Explaining tells you what you know; a question shows you what your child knows. When they explain their thinking out loud, they often find their own mistake, and that sticks better than a correction.
Guide for parents and carers
Questions to ask your child about maths
Good questions do more than check an answer: they show you, and your child, how they are thinking.
What questions should I ask my child about maths?
Ask questions that make your child explain their thinking rather than just give an answer: “What is the question asking?”, “What could you try first?”, “How did you get that?” and “How could you check?” Open questions like these show you where they are stuck, and help them notice their own mistakes.
Updated 4 October 2026 · 5 minute read
Before they start
- What is the question asking you to find?
- What do you know already that might help?
- Have you done a question like this before? What worked then?
- What’s your guess? Roughly how big should the answer be?
- Which part looks easiest to start with?
When they are stuck
- Which part makes sense so far?
- Could you draw it, or use objects to show it?
- Can you break it into two smaller steps?
- What would happen if the numbers were smaller?
- What have you tried? What happened?
- Is there a pattern?
After an answer, right or wrong
- How did you get that?
- How do you know it’s right?
- Could you check it a different way?
- Does the answer make sense? Is it about the size you expected?
- Could you explain it to me as if I were in your class?
- What would change if the question said … instead?
To look back
- What helped you most?
- What was the tricky part?
- What would you do differently next time?
- What’s one thing you’d like to practise more?
Better than “How was maths today?”
- What was the hardest question today? How did you tackle it?
- Did anyone in your class solve something in a surprising way?
- Was there a moment you got stuck? What got you going again?
- What’s something you could teach me from today?
- Where might you use today’s maths outside school?
For younger children (Foundation to Year 2)
Everyday maths is the best practice. Ask while you shop, cook or play:
- How many do you think are in the bowl? Let’s count to check.
- Which is longer? How could we find out?
- If we share these between the three of us, is it fair?
- What comes next in the pattern?
- What time do you think it is? What will we be doing in an hour?
For older learners (Years 7 to 10)
- Which rule or formula fits here, and why?
- Can you estimate before you calculate?
- Where could this go wrong? What mistake is easy to make?
- Can you write the problem as an equation?
- Is there a quicker way? Is it always true?
Questions to skip
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| “Isn’t it obvious?” or “That’s easy.” | “What makes this one tricky?” (If it feels easy to you and hard to them, saying so makes it harder.) |
| “Just do it the way I learned.” | “Show me your school’s way, then I’ll show you mine.” |
| “What’s the answer?” | “How are you working it out?” |
| “I was never any good at maths either.” | “This one takes practice. Let’s practise.” |
Looking for questions at the right level? Each Australian Curriculum year page lists what Ponder’s practice sets cover, with a sample question and its hints.
Not sure where to start?
Try Ponder’s free “Where are they at?” check together: a few maths or English questions for your child’s year, with one hint at a time, then strengths and next steps in plain English. It takes 5 to 8 minutes and needs no account.
More guides
Straight answers
Questions people ask
What if my child just says “I don’t know”?
Make the question smaller: “What’s one number in the question?” or offer a choice: “Would drawing it or counting help more?” A small, easy first step usually gets them talking.
How do I talk about maths if I found it hard at school?
Be curious rather than expert. Ask your child to teach you their method, and say “this takes practice” rather than “I’m bad at maths”. How you talk about maths matters more than knowing every answer.
Practise the questions with Ponder.
Ponder is in preview. Explore the app now with no account, and join the launch list to hear first when accounts open later this year.