What’s an open ended question?

Questions that have more than one right answer, or ones than can be answered in many ways, are called open‐ended or divergent questions. This way of asking questions stimulates more language use, acknowledges that there can be many solutions to one problem, affirms children’s ideas, and encourages creative thinking.  

Open‐ended questions open up conversations

When you ask an open‐ended question, you don’t know what your child’s answer is going to be. Close‐ended questions usually limit conversation to a one or two word response, and sometimes they end the conversation. Examples:

Close‐ended question: “What color is this?”
Open‐ended question: “You used a lot of blue on your painting. What does it remind you of?”

Close‐ended question: “How many teddy bears are on the block?”
Open‐ended question: “What are those teddy bears thinking about?”

Close‐ended question: “What’s your doll’s name?”
Open‐ended question: “Your baby is so beautiful! Tell me about her.”

Children must have a high level of verbal skills to respond to open‐ended questions. Since open-ended questions have a wide‐range of possible answers, children are able to respond only if they have a fairly high level of verbal skills, vocabulary, and self‐confidence. If your child has limited verbal skills, use self-talk & parallel-talk, repetition, extension, or ask a close‐ended question.

The success of open‐ended questions depends on how you understand your child’s interest or focus. You may be used to asking questions aimed at assessing how much your child knows (about color, number, shape or alphabet) and may find it difficult at first to ask engaging questions with no right answer. Close‐ended questions usually end conversations. Open‐ended questions that are too general or unfocused may be difficult for your child to respond to and may also end the conversation.

Here’s an example: Your child has been using fingerpaint, mixing together orange, blue, and yellow. You say:

Close‐ended question:
“What colors are you using?” Child: “Orange.”

General open‐ended question:
“Tell me about what you are doing.” Child: “Mixing colors.”

Targeted open‐ended question:
“Wow! How did you get this color? What did you do first?” Child: “First I stuck my hand in the blue paint, then I stuck my other hand in the orange paint. I made the paint squeeze through my fingers. It felt yucky. Then it started changing colors!”

Open‐ended questions that are challenging can develop your child’s thinking skills: Challenging children by posing thought‐provoking, open‐ended questions that are rich and clear can stimulate and push at the edges of your child’s development. These questions are often expressed in conditional form “What will happen if you…?”

Types of open‐ended questions that are challenging include:

• Making predictions ‐ What do you think will happen if you keep adding blocks to your tower?
• Stretching thinking ‐ What would happen if there were no cars, trucks, buses, planes, or boats? How would we get around?
• Considering consequences ‐ What would happen if you left your drawing outside and it rained?
• Assessing feelings ‐ How would you feel if that happened to you? How do you think Juan feels?
• Thinking about similarities and differences ‐ How are these two blocks the same? What makes these things go together?
• Applying knowledge to solve a problem ‐ What could you do to keep the paint from dripping on the floor?
• Evaluating ‐ What made you decide to pick this book to read? How did this make you feel?

Try using these open ended questions with your preschoolers at home to get started:

Adapted from Preschool for All, San Francisco First Five (first5sf.org)

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How To Teach Your Child Sequencing

Sequencing is one of many pre-reading skills children need to develop before they learn to read. Learning to sequence, put a series of objects or events in a specific and logical order, teaches children to recognize patterns, make predictions and comprehend stories. As children develop sequencing skills they learn to understand that stories follow a logical order with a beginning, middle and end. Sequencing is a very abstract concept requiring lots of practice. You can help your child learn to sequence at home with these ideas and techniques.

Introduce & use sequencing words often

Engage your child in language and discussion about their daily activities to help them understand sequencing using the basic sequencing vocabulary: First, second, third…, in front of, behind, before, after, next, first, then, last, beginning, middle, end, began, concluded, and finally.  Focus on these words in everyday conversation and situations.

• When getting ready for bed say: First you’ll take a bath. Second you’ll brush your teeth. Third we’ll read a story.
• When reading a story: Talk about the beginning, middle and end. Ask How did the story Begin? What was next? How did it conclude?
• When it’s time to wake up say: First you go potty. Then you eat breakfast. Then you brush your teeth. Last we go to school. 
• When it’s time to go potty say: First we go potty. Then we flush the toilet. Last we wash our hands.
• When it’s time to get dressed say: Start with your underwear. Then put on your pants. Next put on your shirt. Last put on your socks and shoes. 
• Encourage your child to answer sequencing questions like: What do you want first? What do you want to do next?  What did we do first, second, last?

Play the robot sequencing game

When just about any task needs to be completed tell your child I’m a robot. I will follow your instructions. Tell me what to do first, second, third…, last. Play the game when it is time to:  Make cookies. Sandwiches. Dinner… Take the dog for a walk. etc.

The robot game is lots of fun! It helps reinforce sequencing concepts and how to communicate instructions clearly and completely.

Use sequence words to describe the arrangement of items

Place four items in sequential order from left to right. Discuss how the items are arranged using sequencing words: first, second, third, last, next, and after.

• The red car is first. The green car is second. The blue car is third.  The yellow car is last. Go on to say: The yellow car is after the green car. The red car is before the green car and the blue car.
• First, there is the blue Lego. Then, there is the red Lego. Next, is the yellow Lego. The green Lego is last. Go on to say:  The blue lego is before the red lego and the red Lego is after the blue one.

When reading or after watching a movie ask sequencing questions

What happened first? What happened in the middle. What happened at the end? Then what happened? What happen next? What happened last? Here are some examples:

• There’s a Nightmare in the Attic: At first, the little girl is afraid of the nightmare. Next, in the middle she goes to find the nightmare. Then,  she lassos the nightmare. At the end,  she is no longer afraid of the nightmare.
• Green Eggs & Ham: In the beginning, Sam’s friend does not like green eggs & ham. Then in the middle, Sam tries to get his friend to try Green eggs & Ham but his friend will NOT. Finally in the end, Sam’s friend tries green eggs & ham and LOVES them!
• The Little Mermaid: First, Ariel had a dream about life on land. Then, Ursula the Sea Witch gave her legs in trade for her voice. Finally, Ariel got her voice back, kept her legs and in the end lived happily ever after with Prince Eric.
• Finding Nemo: First Nemo was lost. Then his dad Marlin & friend Dory went looking for him. Finally, Marlin and Dory found Nemo!

Have your child sequence toys and items according to your directions

Have your child gather some of his/her favorite toys and items from around the house. Items should vary in color, shape, and/or size. Then have at it! Ask your child:

• Put the baseball first. The football second. The soccer ball last.
• Put the basketball after the football and before the soccer ball.
• Place the football between the basketball and baseball.
• Take the football out of the middle and put it in the front.

Use sequence pictures with your preschooler

Guide your child by asking what would happen first, second, next… Have your child arrange the pictures in the correct order. Then have him/her explain the order. Help your child self-correct misplaced pictures by asking; Are you sure? Would that make sense?When your child has a strong understanding of sequencing objects, it’s time to  introduce a series of pictures that tell a story. You & your child can make your own. You can use family photos from a recent trip or a cut and sequence worksheet.

I hope you have as much fun sequencing with your children at home as we do at school!

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