Answering Questions
Asking and answering questions helps us to think and learn about the world around us, to find out information, and to clarify what we know. The ability to answer questions will help your child to participate in more meaningful conversations with their peers, to process information in their environment and to be a contributing member in the classroom. Here are some general strategies to support your child in answering questions:
- Focus attention and repeat the question – make sure you have your child’s attention before asking the question again.
- Give time – give your child plenty of time to process and respond with an answer.
- Simplify – try to rephrase the question and use language that your child is familiar with (e.g. What do we use for cutting up food? What does mummy cut food with?)
- Offer choices – give your child two answers (e.g. do we use a spoon or a knife?)
- Relate – try to relate the question to a situation that your child has experienced (e.g. remember when we cut up the orange? What did we use?)
(Adapted from Loveandreilly.com.au, 2012)
Speech Pathology Team