Community Questions
Here's What To Do
Encourage your child to ask questions to learn more about something in your community..
Pick up on your child’s cues if you notice them looking at something curiously, pointing or showing interest or curiosity. If they aren’t talking or aren’t sure how to ask, demonstrate how to ask questions. Then, answer the question or find out the answer together.
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- While spending time together, pause and model how to be curious about the things around you. “Wow! Now that it’s springtime, there are so many little flowers. What do you see?”
Engage:
- “I see you looking at the ___.”
- “What do you want to know about ___? What question could you ask?”
Encourage:
- Help your child to ask the questions by asking the question first, then having them repeat it. “Ask me, “What is that?”
- “You pointed at that big dog. You can ask, “What kind of dog is it?” It’s a German Shepherd.”
Reflect:
- “What is something you want to learn about? You can tell me or point to it.”
Not quite ready?
When your child points at something, seems curious, or isn’t sure how to ask a question, ask the question and encourage them to repeat after you if they can. It’s OK if they can’t repeat after you yet. “I see you looking around. You can ask, “where is ___?””
Ready for more?
Encourage your child to ask more complex questions and do simple explorations to answer their question. For example, “Where will the ball go if I throw it hard?”
As your child masters this skill...
They will ask simple questions about the environment around them.