How to successfully enhance inquiry-based learning in early childhood

In an inquiry-based classroom, reflection is just as important as investigation. After an activity or project, children are encouraged to think about what they have learned, how they arrived at their conclusions, and what they might do differently next time. This reflective process encourages critical thinking, allowing children to analyze their findings, challenge assumptions, and make connections across different areas of learning.

How Technology Supports Inquiry-Based Learning in ECE

Integrating technology into inquiry-based learning opens up new ways for children to explore, document, and communicate their findings. Technology can help enhance curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in ways that traditional tools may not. However, the key to using technology effectively is to ensure it is purposefully integrated into the learning process.

 

Purposeful Integration of Technology

Technology should not be used in isolation; it should enhance the learning experience. By selecting the right digital tools that align with their learning goals, educators can support children in investigating topics, recording observations, and collaborating with their peers. For instance, tools like digital drawing apps, programming robots (e.g., Bee-Bots), and interactive storytelling apps provide opportunities for children to engage in hands-on inquiry activities that enhance their learning.

 

Educators can use technology to document children’s progress, capture their reflections, and even share their discoveries with others. This process encourages active participation, giving children the tools they need to communicate their findings and express their thoughts creatively.

 

 

Developing Critical Thinking with Technology

When technology is used intentionally, it can help foster critical thinking and problem-solving. For example, using a digital camera or tablet during an outdoor exploration allows children to observe their environment, capture images, and reflect on patterns, shapes, and textures they notice. Technology can also be used to create multimedia presentations where children can showcase their learning and explain their thought processes to others. This approach encourages deeper reflection and meaningful communication, key components of inquiry-based learning.

 

 

Collaborative Learning with Digital Tools

Technology also enhances collaborative learning by enabling children to work together in new and innovative ways. Apps that allow for shared storytelling, digital art creation, or group problem-solving help children develop teamwork and communication skills. By engaging with digital tools that support collaborative inquiry, children learn to work together, exchange ideas, and negotiate solutions in real-time.

 

 

How Educators Can Grow and Develop in Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning

For educators, implementing inquiry-based learning with technology requires ongoing professional development and support. The process of integrating technology into inquiry-based practices can be complex, but with the right tools and guidance, educators can develop their skills in meaningful ways.

 

Structured Support for Educators

For those looking to strengthen their inquiry-based teaching practices, having access to ongoing professional development is crucial. One way to achieve this is through structured learning pathways that provide step-by-step guidance on how to integrate technology into inquiry-based learning. With resources that range from expert-led workshops to peer collaborations, educators can build confidence in using technology to support their teaching goals.

 

In addition to practical resources and lesson ideas, there are opportunities to engage with a community of educators who are navigating similar challenges. This sense of community is invaluable for sharing insights, discussing challenges, and refining teaching strategies.

 

Empowering Educators with Resources and Tools

Educators need access to resources that support inquiry-based learning in practical, actionable ways. By selecting the right digital tools, educators can support children in exploring concepts, documenting discoveries, and reflecting on learning. Whether through lesson plans, resource libraries, or peer discussions, educators can continuously refine their approach to teaching and ensure that technology is used to enhance inquiry.

 

 

Moving Forward with Inquiry-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education

Integrating technology into inquiry-based learning in early childhood education enriches the educational experience, providing children with the tools they need to explore, reflect, and collaborate in dynamic ways. As technology continues to evolve, so too must our teaching practices to ensure we are offering children meaningful and engaging learning opportunities.

 

For educators looking to enhance their practice, ongoing professional development is key. By building confidence in using technology to support inquiry, educators can create classrooms where curiosity is encouraged, creativity is nurtured, and critical thinking is at the heart of learning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inquiry-Based Learning with Technology Integration in Early Childhood Education

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) in early childhood education is a powerful approach that encourages children to explore, ask questions, and express their discoveries. Dr. Faith Rogow, an expert in media literacy, explains how technology can be seamlessly integrated into this method to support young learners' curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. In this blog, we’ll summarize Dr. Rogow’s key ideas and show how educators can begin using technology to enhance inquiry-based learning in their classrooms.

 

 

Key Insights from Dr. Faith Rogow on Inquiry-Based Learning in ECE

1. Start with the Learning Goal, Not the Tool

Dr. Rogow stresses that effective use of technology starts with the learning task, not the device or app. Rather than picking a tool first and trying to make it fit the lesson, educators should begin by asking: What do I want children to learn? and Which technology will best help them explore and express this learning?

By focusing on the task first, educators can select the right technology—whether that’s an interactive app, a programmable toy, or a digital storytelling tool—to enhance the learning experience, rather than using technology just for the sake of using it.

 

 

2. Developing Habits of Inquiry

Inquiry-based learning isn’t just about the final answer; it’s about the process of exploration. Dr. Rogow emphasizes that habits of inquiry, like asking questions, thinking critically, and sharing ideas, are at the core of learning. Technology, when used intentionally, can support these habits by giving children the tools to investigate, ask questions, and communicate their findings. Digital tools can be used for documentation, collaboration, and reflection, turning everyday activities into opportunities for deeper thinking.

 

 

3. Skills of Expression Through Technology

Dr. Rogow also speaks about skills of expression, which are the abilities children need to communicate their ideas in various forms. Technology is an excellent medium for young children to express themselves creatively. For instance, children can use digital drawing apps, record their voices, or even create videos to document their learning. These tools give children a way to share their discoveries and reflect on their experiences in a way that extends beyond traditional paper-and-pencil methods.

 

 

 

How Technology Can Bring Inquiry-Based Learning to Life in the Classroom

Now, let’s look at how you can begin implementing these ideas in your classroom using readily available tools and strategies. Whether you’re new to using technology or looking to refine your approach, here are a few practical ways to start integrating technology into inquiry-based learning:

 

1. Digital Storytelling with Nature Sounds

Take your class outdoors for a digital storytelling activity where children explore their environment and capture the sounds of nature—birds chirping, leaves rustling, or water flowing. Using simple apps like Book Creator or iMovie, children can combine these sounds with their own drawings or photos to create a digital story. This activity encourages creativity, oral language development, and digital literacy while allowing children to engage directly with the natural world around them.

 

2. QR Code Nature Hunt

Turn a simple nature walk into an interactive learning experience using QR codes. Hide QR codes around your outdoor space that link to interesting facts about plants, insects, or weather patterns. Children can scan the codes using a tablet or smartphone, engaging with the content and sharing their findings through storytelling, drawing, or journaling. This activity blends digital literacy with scientific inquiry, fostering curiosity and teamwork.

 

3. Coding with Bee-Bots

Introduce programming and problem-solving with simple, child-friendly technology like Bee-Bots. These programmable robots allow children to code commands to navigate around an obstacle course, encouraging logical thinking and spatial awareness. This type of activity is a fun and engaging way for children to learn about sequencing, directionality, and cause and effect. It also promotes collaboration as children work together to design and test their code.

 

 

 

Moving Forward with Technology Integration in Your Classroom

To successfully integrate technology with inquiry-based learning, it’s important to build your knowledge and practice step by step. Here's how to develop your skills in integrating technology in ways that enhance inquiry-based learning:

 

1. Start Small, Build Confidence

If you’re new to using technology in the classroom, begin with a simple tool or activity. Start by using a digital drawing app or interactive game to support a lesson. For example, Paint 3D can help children explore shapes and create images, while a tablet app might help them record their observations during a nature walk. Gradually, as you gain confidence, you can explore more advanced tools, like coding with Bee-Bots or creating multimedia projects.

 

2. Connect Technology to Learning Goals

Always connect the use of technology to your core learning goals. Dr. Rogow advocates for purposeful integration—technology should not be used for its own sake, but rather as a tool to help children develop critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills. For example, use QR codes to make a science scavenger hunt where children scan codes to learn about plants or insects. Afterward, children can reflect on their discoveries, share what they learned, and discuss how technology helped them.

 

3. Engage with the Larger Educational Community

One of the best ways to improve your technology integration is to engage with other educators. Share your experiences, discuss your challenges, and learn from others who are using technology in similar ways. Participating in discussions about how to integrate technology into inquiry-based learning can give you new ideas and help you refine your practices.

 

 

 

Taking the Next Step

While technology integration in early childhood can seem overwhelming, starting small and building your skills over time will help you feel more confident and capable in using technology to support inquiry-based learning. By beginning with simple, purposeful activities that enhance children’s curiosity, problem-solving, and creativity, you’ll be setting up a learning environment that’s engaging, interactive, and forward-thinking.

 

For those looking to go further, there are many resources available that guide you step-by-step through the process of technology integration. Watch expert-led presentations, download lesson plans, and engage with a community of educators who are all on the same journey toward using technology to support meaningful inquiry-based learning.

 

 

 

 

Pedagogies for Inquiry Learning in Preschool

In the world that we live in, dominated by digital technology, there are many things that need to be solved and all of this is really just a screw that is needed to be screwed (Faith Rogow). Today, when we think about digital technology in early childhood education, that’s the way we approach technology.

 

When I co-hosted with Dr Faith Rogow she provided many examples of inquiry based teaching strategies in early childhood education with digital technology.

 

Intentional Teaching

She discussed how you first needed to start with ‘intention’ which is task before technology. Start by looking at what, when, how and why, how do we use technology tools to help whatever our educational goals are, and what's our task.

 

Media literacy covers all this as today young children can listen to a newspaper, watch a magazine, see a phone call, talk to millions of people at time and hold a library in their hands. You need to start by thinking or having a conversation with children then enabling them to learn about and seek out credible sources of information.

 

 

Early Childhood Pedagogies

Faith continues in her presentation pointing out that as an educator you need to ensure that you ‘frame’ the challenges as educational (not public health), illiteracy (not media reform), and child-centred (not media-centred). Inquiry based teaching strategies such as this is NOT helpful if you want to teach young children to be critical thinkers and apply this to media, or apply this to screens, or to the digital technology that they are using.

This framing is the ideal inquiry based teaching strategies to apply in the classroom. Change your frame of mind when approaching the integration of digital technology in early childhood education. Do not try to figure out how to limit exposure to digital technology.

The question that you should be asking is “how do I make young children literate in the digital world in which they live in?”

You need to give them the skills they need in order to get around this.

 

 

Media Literacy competencies

You really need to map out what you believe the skillsets will be. The first one which is probably the most familiar is ‘access’ – teaching children to use digital technology. Can they use the computer or tablet computer? Do they know how to use this particular software?

The second skill set that you need to think about is enabling young children to reflect on the effects of media on themselves and on other people. Part of this is helping children to become aware of their own bodies when using media. This way they will start to get a sense of thinking like “I need to take a break now” or “I need to move”.

These are the kind of questions that you can help young children to think about on a routine basis and habit is essentially what you are trying to teach at this early age.

The best early childhood pedagogy for this would be for you to model this anytime that they are sedentary, not just when they are using digital technology in early childhood education.

Additionally, you would need to help them to comprehend the overt messages or the overt, what they are actually listening to. Evaluating is a piece of it. Is what I'm choosing to use for this the right tool for the task, for instance?

Attending also plays a role and so you need to teach them the skills that they need so that they can pay attention to the technology and media in their world.

You want children to know that all media is constructed and that it is shaped by us. People use their individual skills, beliefs, and experiences to construct their own meanings from media messages.

So these are the best early childhood pedagogies that you can apply through inquiry-based learning in early childhood education today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bringing Inquiry-Based Learning to Life with ICT

What It Means for Early Childhood

What is inquiry-based learning in early childhood? It is a teaching approach where children learn by asking questions, exploring, and investigating. Rather than passively receiving information, they discover answers through play and guided inquiry. This encourages critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration from an early age.

 

Why It Matters

When educators use inquiry-based learning in early childhood education, they are supporting children’s natural curiosity. Learning becomes more meaningful, as children take ownership of the process. Instead of just completing tasks, they are developing the skills to solve problems, share ideas, and think critically about the world.

 

 

A Practical Example: The Virtual Post Office

One of the most engaging inquiry based learning activities for preschoolers is the Virtual Post Office. This lesson combines role play with digital tools to give children a hands-on way to explore how mail and communication work.

In the activity, children:

• Create and design their own digital stamps on tablets.

• Type names and addresses on postcards.

• Take on post office jobs such as stamp clerk, mail sorter, and delivery worker.

Through playful investigation, children explore the systems of communication while practicing early literacy and digital skills.

 

 

 

Step-by-Step Classroom Application

This is how the Virtual Post Office lesson unfolds, showing the connection between children’s inquiry and your professional growth.

 

Step	.Teacher Action	Student Action	Membership Support Tool
1. Introduce	Use the lesson plan to set up props and ICT tools	Children explore stamps, ask “Where does the letter go?”	Workbook: set goals & success criteria.
2. Guide Inquiry	Prompt with questions: “What happens after stamping?”	Take on post office jobs, design stamps digitally.	Workbook: Observation Log.
3. Reflect	Record observations on curiosity and engagement.	Share discoveries in group time.	Workbook: Critical Reflection prompts.
4. Extend	Add an extension: record voice notes with postcards.	Experiment with combining voice and image.	Wisdom Tool: search “digital storytelling preschool.”
5. Support	Ask in community: “How do I scaffold non-verbal learners?”	Engage in adapted versions of the activity.	Community: peer discussion.

 

 👉 This table shows how the plan moves beyond an activity. Each step has reflection points, prompts to extend inquiry, and opportunities to use membership tools for immediate support. It guides you to teach, observe, reflect, and grow.

 

 

Linking Plans to Your Growth

Each inquiry-based lesson is designed to help you build confidence step by step. Whether you are new to ICT or ready to mentor others, the same plan adapts to your needs.

Your Stage	How the Plan Helps You	Student Impact
Just starting with ICT	Follow the plan step by step with confidence.	Children begin asking inquiry questions.
Growing in confidence	Add new twists like voice recordings or extra roles.	Students express ideas in new ways.
Making it routine	Embed inquiry with ICT across daily activities.	Collaboration and problem-solving grow naturally.
Confident leader	Adapt plans and guide colleagues to try them.	Children show leadership, mentoring peers.

 

 

 👉 This table makes it clear: inquiry plans aren’t one-size-fits-all. Beginners gain confidence, while experienced educators can extend and lead. Children benefit at every stage, seeing deeper learning outcomes.

 

 

Tools That Support You

Lesson plans are only one part of the journey. The real transformation comes when you combine them with membership tools that guide, support, and extend your practice.

 

 

Tool	.How It Helps	Example in Practice
Workbook	Track goals, record observations, reflect on growth	Note: “How did children show curiosity today?”
Wisdom Tool	Search for strategies & extensions 24/7.	Query: “How can I extend inquiry outdoors with tablets?”
Community	Share reflections, ask peers for ideas.	Post: “Has anyone run this with mixed ages?”
Expert Playlist	Watch inquiry strategies in action.	See how other educators scaffold digital role play.

 

 

 👉 These supports mean you are never left guessing. You always have somewhere to record, reflect, and ask for help — turning inquiry into a sustainable teaching practice.

 

 

Case Study: Mia’s Journey

When Mia first opened the Virtual Post Office lesson plan, she admitted she often avoided ICT unless she had exact instructions. She set up the activity step by step, following the guide carefully.

 

At first, the children eagerly stamped their postcards, but then one child asked, “How does the letter find Grandma’s house?” Another added, “What if the stamp falls off?” Suddenly, what began as role play became an investigation into communication systems.

 

Mia recorded these questions in the workbook’s observation log and was struck by how naturally inquiry had emerged. For the first time, she wasn’t leading the lesson — the children’s curiosity was.

 

Wanting to extend the activity, Mia added the option of recording voice notes to attach to postcards. She expected hesitation, but instead, a child who rarely spoke pressed record and proudly narrated his message. The room fell quiet as his classmates listened, and Mia realised she had unlocked a new way for him to share his voice. The workbook’s reflection prompt — “How did children express curiosity and creativity?” — helped her capture the significance of that moment.

 

Later, when Mia felt unsure about adapting the activity for a non-verbal learner, she typed her question into the Wisdom Tool: “How can I scaffold digital storytelling for non-verbal preschoolers?” The answers she received overnight gave her three strategies to try. By the next morning, that child was happily “posting” a digital postcard with images he had chosen himself.

 

By the end of the term, Mia’s confidence had shifted entirely. She was no longer just running lessons — she was shaping them. She even guided a colleague through adapting the Virtual Post Office for a mixed-age group, sharing the journey and outcomes in the community.

To show what this looks like in practice, here’s how one teacher, Mia, used the Virtual Post Office lesson plan.

Stage of Growth	Mia’s Teaching Change	Student Change	Support She Used
Getting started	Followed the plan as written.	Children asked more questions.	Workbook goals + observation log.
Building confidence	Added voice recordings to postcards.	Quiet children became more expressive.	Community advice on scaffolding non-verbal learners.
Making it daily	Brought inquiry with ICT into other areas: Bee-Bots, QR hunts.	Collaboration became natural.	Workbook reflection prompts + Wisdom Tool searches.
Leading others	Mentored a colleague to adapt the plan.	Older children began teaching younger peers.	Shared in community + gained case studies.

 

Mia began the year avoiding ICT unless it felt “safe.” By the end, she was leading inquiry, adapting lessons with creativity, and inspiring others. Her children were not just playing post office — they were questioning, problem-solving, communicating, and even teaching one another.

 

 

👉 Mia’s story shows how these plans transform both teaching and learning. She started uncertain, but ended confident and ready to lead. Her children grew into curious, collaborative problem-solvers.

 

 

Other Examples to Explore

While the Virtual Post Office is one detailed example, there are other ICT-based inquiry lessons that show the same principles:

• QR Code Nature Hunt
  Children scan codes hidden outdoors to uncover facts about plants and insects.
  → Builds science inquiry by connecting digital tools with the natural world.
  → Supports observation and problem-solving.

• Bee-Bot Bus Route
  Children program Bee-Bots to act as buses, travelling between classroom landmarks.
  → Builds sequencing and coding skills through real-world problem solving.
  → Encourages teamwork as children test and refine their routes.

👉 These short examples show the versatility of inquiry-based ICT activities — from literacy and communication to coding and science exploration.

 

 

 

Why This Matters

• For children: Activities like these give them inquiry-based learning in preschool that fosters curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.

• For educators: Each plan is more than an activity — it is a professional growth step supported by tools, reflection, and a community of peers.

This is the true difference: inquiry plans that transform student learning and teacher practice at the same time.

 

 

Take the First Step

Download the free sample below. Try the Virtual Post Office with your group. Use the workbook to reflect, the Wisdom Tool to extend, and the community to share.

You’ll see how one plan can begin transforming your teaching and your children’s learning.

✨ Inquiry isn’t just for children — it’s for educators too.

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond Activities: Inquiry-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education

Most sites will give you lists of classroom ideas. But if you’ve been following this series, you’ll know that inquiry-based learning in early childhood education is more than activities — it’s a professional pathway. Yes, children benefit through curiosity, problem-solving, and collaboration. But equally important, every lesson you teach can be part of your own CPD journey: guided by reflection prompts, supported by peers, and strengthened with practical tools that help you grow from trying inquiry to transforming your practice.

 

Here are the key takeaways:

• Inquiry-based learning in early childhood education places the child at the centre, making their questions the starting point for learning.

• Educators can guide curiosity through inquiry based learning activities for preschoolers such as digital storytelling, role play in a Virtual Post Office, or QR code hunts outdoors.

• Each activity is more than play — it links to professional growth when supported by reflection prompts, the Wisdom Tool for answers, and a community of peers to share ideas.

• Transformation happens step by step: from trialling a guided lesson, to building confidence with ICT, to making inquiry part of daily practice and eventually leading others.

 

✨ The message is clear: these lessons aren’t just activities, they are tools that transform both children’s outcomes and your own practice.

 

So the real question is: are you ready to take the first step?

Start today for just $20 AUD per month and explore inquiry-based lesson plans, the Wisdom Tool, the workbook, and community support. Trial it monthly, then switch to the annual plan to save $40 instantly ($200 per year – 2 months free).