What is ask the audience?

Pose a question to an individual learner as normal If they struggle, offer the option to "ask the audience" for help Classmates volunteer ideas or the teacher selects a helper The original learner then builds on the support to give their answer

Ask the Audience | Rainbow Curriculum

How it works

Ask the audience borrows from the television quiz format. When a learner is asked a question and is visibly struggling, the teacher offers the option to "ask the audience" rather than letting silence become uncomfortable.

This can work in two ways. The learner can nominate someone they think might help, or the teacher can invite suggestions from the class. The key is that the original learner stays involved. They listen to the help offered and then give their own answer, building on what they have heard.

The strategy takes the pressure off individual learners without letting them off the hook entirely. It also keeps the rest of the class engaged because they know they might be called on to help at any moment.

It works especially well in combination with no hands up. The teacher selects who answers, and if that learner needs support, the safety net of "ask the audience" is there. This removes the fear of getting it wrong, which is one of the biggest barriers to participation.

Classroom example

A Year 7 Mathematics and Numeracy lesson in a Carmarthenshire school is exploring fractions. The teacher asks Seren to explain how to find a common denominator. Seren hesitates. The teacher says: "Would you like to ask the audience?" Seren nods. Rhys offers: "You need to find a number both denominators go into." Seren then continues: "So for thirds and quarters, the common denominator would be twelve because both three and four go into twelve." The teacher confirms and the lesson continues.

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Curriculum for Wales connection

Ask the audience supports learners in becoming "ambitious, capable learners" by creating a safe environment for taking intellectual risks. It develops the cross-curricular literacy skill of oral communication and works across all AoLEs wherever questioning is used.

Rainbow Curriculum's Thinking Tools lens helps you map where strategies like ask the audience are planned across your curriculum, ensuring questioning quality improves consistently.

Tips

Always bring the question back to the original learner. They should give the final answer, not just listen.
Combine with no hands up so that "ask the audience" is a genuine safety net, not an opt-out.
Do not overuse it. If every question leads to "ask the audience", learners stop thinking independently.
A common pitfall: the helper gives the full answer. Coach helpers to give hints, not solutions.

Related tools

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A questioning approach where answers bounce between learners rather than back to the teacher, extending thinking sequences and keeping the whole class engaged.

No Hands Up

A questioning strategy where the teacher selects who answers rather than relying on raised hands, ensuring all learners are engaged and accountable for thinking.

Phone a Friend

A peer support strategy where a learner who is stuck can ask a classmate for help, modelling real-world problem-solving where seeking help is a skill, not a weakness.

Random Partners

A classroom management strategy where partners or respondents are selected randomly rather than by choice or ability, ensuring all learners work with different people and every voice is heard.