As well as working on your child's individual articulation goals during the session we also try to incorporate WH questions into all our activities. We have a daily question at circle that is always a WH question. This month they were about food you like. "What is your favorite thing for dinner?" "What is your favorite vegetable?" They have 3 choices and then they put their name under their vote. It also works on counting and more/less/equal. The books we read this month were Tops & Bottoms and Sloppy Joe. We have had fun playing in the sensory table, with pegs, and singing our mat man song from handwriting without tears. Here are some things you can do at home to encourage the question skill at home.
We look forward to the fall season coming up and all the fun activities that come with it! Sarah & Lorraine
By Becky L. Spivey, M.Ed.
How to Help Your Child Understand and
Produce “WH” Questions
© 2006 Super Duper® Publications • www.superduperinc.com
• Make small books. Have your child illustrate a book with
photos or drawings with a title like “Our Family Vacation.”
Your child can answer each of the WH questions that you
may dictate. For example, “Who went on vacation?
Where did you go? When did you leave/return? What did
you do on your vacation? Why did the family go on
vacation?” Make books about the child’s birthday,
holidays, family time, shopping trips, etc.
• Ask questions about your child’s day at school using WH
questions. “Who did you sit with at lunch? Where did the
class go for music time? When did you play outside? What
did you eat for lunch? Why did you bring home
your books?”
•
Cut pictures from magazines/books. Make a WH chart with each type of WH
Cut pictures from magazines/books. Make a WH chart with each type of WH
question in a separate column. Show your child a picture and ask him/her to place
the picture in the correct column. For example, you show the child a picture of a
man - he/she puts the picture in the Who column. An apple – he/she places in the
What column; a picture of a park – he/she places in the Where column.
• Improve your child’s reading comprehension by asking WH questions during and
after story time. Interrupt stories and ask a series of questions related to the story
topic. Ask your child to create questions about the story with Who, What, When,
Where, or Why as the first word of his/her question. Children learn from these
prompts and will begin using these comprehension strategies while reading on
their own.
• Use picture cards made from clippings of magazines or old books. Show your child a
card and say, “Ask me a question about this picture.” If you are showing your child
“shoes,” he/she may ask, “What do you wear on your feet? Why did you get new
shoes? When do you buy shoes? Where do you wear shoes? Who buys your shoes?”
Your child’s understanding and formulation of simple WH questions lays a
foundation for developing skills in communicating, generalizing, and processing
information in his/her environment. Parents have countless opportunities to give
children practice in questioning and answering techniques, as well as provide visual
cues for their children to help them acquire new language skills. The mastery of these
simple questions is invaluable to the early learner.
