We have been working on building our conversational skills through learning how to ask relevant, respectful, and probing questions and answering them in a clear, concise, and direct manner. When we teach questioning skills, we focus on six key words: Who, what, when, where, why, how. These types of questions offer open-ended answers rather than single word answers. When we teach students how to provide answers to a question, we stress the importance of understanding what is being asked. We then focus on answering the question concisely and completely.
How can you help promote these skills at home with your child?
* Discuss the difference between a question and a statement.
* Ask open-ended questions starting with the words: Who, what, when, where,
why, how.
* Make sure the question has been understood.
* Practice answering the question concisely and completely.