Socratic Approach for Kids?

My learning in US and Japan particularly after Master course is largely based on Socratic Approach. Wikipedia explains that this is a form of inquiry and debate between individuals with opposing viewpoints based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to illuminate ideas. To young children, I think this may be called "proactive learning". To me, in the context of training people at work place is "I teach you one thing, you have to teach me back ten in return".

One major contrast to this approach is our commonly seen spoon feed teaching method. In this method, teachers or parents tell kids everything on what they should know. Notes are prepared, and students are expected to do well in exams after reading the notes, period! I have gone through this and I have seen how spoon feeding type of education limits and slows down learning process (**see my comment). Just ask ourselves how can one teach in the limited hours of lesson per week? Compared to another students who keen learning by himself, I would think the later learns better.

The question for me is how do we encourage proactive learning? How do we teach young kids to learn by themselves? Call me lazy or whatever, I dislike taking care of my kids's spelling test. I made it clear that it's his responsibility and he managed that very well. Whenever he asked me meaning of a new words, I seldom give him the answer and asking him to check dictionary. Sometimes, I tell him to "google" the answer. I think all these are part of proactive learning education from me to him! Socratic approach requires more than that, students are supposed to critically think about what they learned. In contrast, some teachers told me that if they asked students to look up dictionary, they are wasting lesson time! The expectation of parents is no dictionary in classroom! Wow! I am surprised.

I have a friend whose daughters were both pursuing medicine under scholarships. I asked him how did he do that.. His answer to me was, "do nothing!". Interesting answer... but I think that answer has a lot of wisdom in it. It's not easy to do nothing, especially if you see your kids get bad marks from one exam, right?

What else can I do better on this? I don't know. Perhaps following my classmate's way is the best! What do you think? Please share.