Questions to Ask Your Child After School

Parents may have lots of questions when their child comes home, either on the first few days or throughout the school year.

Does your child often answer with “nothing” or “good” when you ask “What did you do at school” or “How was school”. Below are some tips to talk to your child about school:

• Ask open-ended questions to KEEP the conversation going. Most often, you will get a one-word response if the question can be answered with one word
• Start with factual questions to START the conversation. For example “I know your class size in Art is much bigger this year than last year. What is it like?
• Ask positive questions to give your child the opportunity to express concerns.
• Avoid negative questions as they tend to stop a conversation

Conversation Starters After School

Questions                                        Try these instead

How was school?                                – What’s the biggest difference between this year and last year?

Who did you sit with?                       – Tell me 3 of the children who sat near you

Were the kids in your class nice?   – Who did you enjoy talking to the most?

Was the work hard?                          – What was the best thing your teacher asked you to do?

How was lunch time?                       – Who sat near you at lunch time?

– What was something funny that someone said at lunch time?

– What was a game you played at lunch time?

Keeping communication open between yourself and your child is important, especially when they are in school and away from you for hours each day.

Use the question (s) that work for you and your children. The important thing is to start talking to them on a regular basis

Written by Didem Karademir, Speech Pathologist