Which Question of the Day Format Is Right for Your Class?
You have decided to try a question of the day. Great choice! Now there is one more decision: how will your students get the question each day?
There are four ways to do it. Every format uses the same questions and the same recording booklets. Only the way students see the question changes.
In this post, you will see how each format works, who it suits best, and how much prep it takes. If you are new to the routine, start with How to Use a Question of the Day to Build Research Skills.
Try all four formats free. The free sample has four questions in every format, so you can test them with your class. Get the free Question of the Day sample.
Which Question of the Day Format Should You Choose?
Choose cards to display, rings for a center, cut and paste for hands-on practice, or no prep booklets to save time. All four use the same questions.
Here is a quick look:
Format | How it works | Best for | Prep |
Question cards | One large question per page | Whole class display | |
Questions on rings | Small cards on a binder ring | Centers and small groups | Print, cut, punch, and ring once |
Cut and paste | Question strips students glue in | Hands-on learners | Print and cut strips |
No prep booklets | Question printed on the page | Busy days and homeschool | Print and staple |
Every format comes in color and black and white. The booklet pages come with regular lines and primary lines.
What Are Question of the Day Cards?
Question cards show one inquiry question per page in big, clear print with a picture. They are made for showing the whole class at once.
How to use them: Post the card on the board, in a pocket chart, or under a document camera. Read it together, then send students off to research.
Best for:
Whole class lessons
Teachers who like a morning meeting routine
Classrooms with a question of the day board
Teacher tip: Keep past cards up for a week. Students love looking back at what they learned.
How Do Questions on Rings Work?
Questions on rings are small cards you punch and put on a binder ring. Students flip to the next question each day, so the whole month stays together.
How to use them: Print the cards, cut them out, punch a hole, and add them to a ring. Hang the ring at a research center, or give one to each small group.
Best for:
Literacy centers and stations
Small groups and early finishers
Students who like to choose their own question
Sub plans, since everything is in one spot
Teacher tip: Make one ring per table group. Each group can pick a different question and share what they found.
Why Choose Cut and Paste Questions?
With cut and paste, students cut out a question strip and glue it into their booklet. Then they research the answer and write it below.
How to use them: Print a page of strips. Each page has the same question eight times, so one page covers eight students. Students cut, glue, and get started.
Best for:
1st grade and younger learners
Students who need fine motor practice
Students who learn best with their hands
Teachers who want students to build their own booklets
Teacher tip: Pass out the strips at the door. Gluing the question in becomes a calm start to the morning.
What Is in the No Prep Booklets?
No prep booklets have the question already printed at the top of each page, with lines below for the answer. Print, staple, and go.
How to use them: Print the month, add a cover, and staple. Students turn to the next page each day and write their answer.
Best for:
Teachers short on prep time
Homeschool families
Take-home or summer practice
Students who work well on their own
Teacher tip: Print the booklets for the whole month at once. That is one less job each morning.
Can You Mix and Match Formats?
Yes. Many teachers use two formats together. Cards work well to show the class, while rings or booklets give students their own copy.
Here are a few combinations that work well:
Cards and no prep booklets. Show the card, then students answer in their booklet.
Rings and cut and paste. Students pick a question from the ring at a center, then glue in the strip.
Booklets for most students, cut and paste for some. Give hands-on learners the strips while others use booklets.
Each month comes as its own bundle with all four formats. You can also buy one format for the whole year.
Which Format Works Best for Each Kind of Learner?
Struggling learners do well with cut and paste or cards read aloud. Independent learners do well with booklets or rings and a choice of questions.
Need more support: Cut and paste with primary lines. Read the question aloud. Use one source.
On track: No prep booklets or cards. Use one or two sources.
Need a challenge: Rings with a choice of questions. Use two or three sources, and add an introduction and conclusion.
For more ideas, read How to Differentiate Inquiry-Based Learning for Every Kind of Learner.
How Do You Get Started?
Try the free sample first. It has four questions in all four formats, so your class can test each one before you choose.
Here's a simple way to move forward:
Get the free sample. Print all four formats.
Try one format each day. Four questions means four days of testing.
Watch your students. Which format kept them focused? Which one saved you time?
Pick your favorite. Choose a monthly set or the whole year.
Ready for the whole year? Here are the year-long sets:
When your students are ready for longer research, read How to Teach Inquiry-Based Learning in Grades 1 to 3 or grab the Free Inquiry Starter Kit.
Find Your Format This Week
There is no wrong choice. The best format is the one you will actually use. You don't have to do it all. Just start somewhere.
Test all four formats free. Four inquiry questions in every format, plus booklet pages.
