A little more conversation: the benefits of using open-ended questions

Using open-ended questions with your child supports their skills in being able to think about and answer problem solving queries.  Closed questions, in contrast, are quite functional, and usually only need a response of ‘yes’, or ‘no’, leaving no room for extra thinking. Open-ended questions are fabulous for a variety of reasons, here’s why! 

They help you start a conversation and find out more information – starting off a conversation can sometimes be a bit tricky. It’s really easy to think of closed questions, “Have you had a good day?” “Did you see your sister eat all her lunch today?” Asking something along the lines of, “Tell me about something that made you smile today,” or “What do you think about your sister eating all her lunch?” encourages your child to think more carefully about their answer and offer more of their thoughts. 

And they’ll keep a conversation flowing – when open questions are asked, they are less evasive and feel more light-hearted. Your child may feel more at ease talking about their thoughts, or tell you what they’ve been doing.  

They help you dive into your child’s thoughts and knowledge more deeply – say they’ve built an amazing structure and you ask, “Have you built this?” and “What is it?” You will more than likely get a quick response of, “Yes,” and what it is they’ve built. Switching your questions to, “This is incredible, can you tell me about how you built it?” Or “I love the height of your construction, why did you build it so tall?” 

They encourage creative response – open-ended questions offer your child chances to think out of the box. They might answer with something completely unexpected; something deep in their minds or something they’ve connected there and then. 

They allow self-expression – your child will be more comfortable to answer however they like, answering using their imagination, facts and memories. 

They help your child’s memory develop – talking about things that have happened helps strengthen neural connections in your child’s brain. When they have stronger connections, your child will find it easier to remember and recall the same thoughts and ideas. 

Using them now teaches your child how to open conversations with others and keep them going – hearing you use open-ended questions throughout the day helps your child understand how to create them for themselves. Knowing how to use them to start conversations and find out more information is a skill that they can use in social and more formal situations.  

Here are a few starters for open-ended questions you could use when talking to and playing with your child: 

What would happen if... 

What do you think about... 

What would you do... 

What are your plans for... 

When do you think... 

How do you... 

How did you... 

Will you show me how... 

Why would... 

Tell me about...