The most frequent lament I hear from preschool parents at the beginning of the year is that their children aren’t giving them any information about their day.
To the question, “What did you do today?” they are likely to respond, “Nothing,” “I don’t remember,” or “I played.”
Often children need to wind down before they are ready to share the details of their day. Therefore, go easy with questions as soon as you see them; scatter them through the time you spend together after school, at dinner and getting ready for bed. The type of question you ask will also make a difference in the amount and quality of information they share.
Rather than “What did you do today,” try asking more specific questions. Here are a few examples of some that might yield more results:
- “Did Ms. Kemp teach you a song?”
- “What was your favorite activity?”
- “Did your teacher read a story; what was it about?”
- “Who did you play with on the playground?”
- “What did you play outside?”
- “Did you color or paint?”
- “Who did you sit with at lunch?”
If you narrow your questions and slow them down, you are more likely to get the information you are seeking from preschool-aged children. Don’t forget to read communications from the school as they will provide information to help guide your questions. Enjoy your information gathering!
