Better Questions to Ask Your Child About School

Sometimes we’re all guilty of being on autopilot. That includes when we’re talking to our kids. But if we’re asking the same tired old question every day, we’ll probably keep getting the same tired old answer. To get better answers, we need better questions.

To get more information about your child’s school day, you’ll want to ask questions that are open-ended, specific, and unexpected. (Mix it up and ask different questions every day.) You want to adjust your questions for your child’s age and grade, but here are some ideas to get you started. And remember, questions are just conversation starters—we hope these lead you down the road to some interesting discussions!

Which class was most interesting today? Why?

What kinds of problems did you solve in math today?

What did you read or talk about in literacy today?

Who is your favorite teacher right now? What do you like about them?

Tell me something challenging or confusing that you learned about today.

What made you feel proud today?

What made you feel curious today?

Describe your day to me like I’m a person who has never visited your school.

Who did you eat lunch with today? What did you talk about?

Who did you play with at recess? What did you do?

Tell me about something you have in common with someone in your class.

What or who made you laugh today?

What was the best thing that happened today?

What was the worst thing that happened today?

What was something exciting that happened today?

What was something frustrating that happened today?

• Mix up your question routine. If you always ask about school over dinner, try having a conversation while you’re shooting hoops, out for a walk or bike ride, or doing another activity you enjoy together.

• Talk in the car. Sometimes good conversations happen when you’re not looking at your child—especially if you have a tween or teen who doesn’t volunteer a lot of details. Try asking a question while you’re watching the road, not their face.

• Make it a two-way conversation. Let them ask you about your day, too. If they don’t have any questions, volunteer a piece of information, like who you ate lunch with or a challenge you faced.