Why Are School Buses Always Yellow?: Teaching for Inquiry, PreK-5

"The book covers an important topic, one needed to develop thinkers for the jobs of the twenty-first century. Readers will find excellent vignettes, stories, and examples."
―Arlene Sandberg, ESL Resource Teacher
Anchorage School District, AK

"A valuable tool for teachers who are willing to step outside the conventional ways of teaching. The vignettes help the reader make real-life connections to the author′s purpose and ideas."
―Denise Metiva Hernandez, Teacher
Pontchartrain Elementary School, Mandeville, LA

Deepen young students′ natural curiosity and strengthen questioning and thinking skills!

Every child deserves to be challenged to observe, think, and question experiences. This invaluable resource shows preschool and primary-level teachers how to successfully foster inquiry and critical thinking skills in all children, including learners with special needs.

Why Are School Buses Always Yellow? illustrates how to use the inquiry process to teach mandated content while making learning relevant and lasting for young students. The author uses real classroom examples from schools across the country, provides prompts for framing good questions, offers recommendations for Internet resources, and provides techniques to:

• Introduce inquiry incrementally and systematically
• Use objects, literature, and students′ experiences to stimulate inquiry
• Help children turn their playful wonderings into deeper questions about content
• Develop inquiry-based units that incorporate students′ queries

Educators will discover how to empower children in their quests for answers and help them develop thinking and investigative skills that will serve them throughout school.

Learn more about John Barell′s PD offerings


John Barell is Professor Emeritus of Curriculum and Teaching at Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, and former public school teacher in New York City. For the past several years he has been a consultant for inquiry-based instruction and creation of science/social studies networks at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. For most of his educational career he has worked with schools nationally to foster inquiry, problem-based learning, critical thinking, and reflection. Barell is the author of several books, including Teaching for Thoughtfulness: Strategies to Enhance Intellectual Development (1995, 2nd ed.) and Developing More Curious Minds (2003).