Open-ended Questions

And open-ended question is one that the response is more than a "yes," "no," or any other one word response. It allows the child to expand his or her thoughts and put them into words. Using this strategy in any curriculum area will let you know what the child knows and how to scaffold on that knowledge.


 * Example: "How was your day?" --typical response: "good" or "okay" or "so-so" or "fine"


 * Openended question: "Tell me about your day." --"Well, i went to the..."


 * Tell me...
 * I wonder...
 * Show me...
 * How can we...
 * Explain the way...


 * What do you think...?
 * How did you...?
 * Who do you think...?
 * Describe how...?
 * What will happen next?
 * Why do you think...?
 * When did you learn how to...?
 * Where do you think...?


 * If you changed the end of the story, how do you want it to end?
 * Tell me something different from what you already told me.

[[File:Emerging skill - Answering open ended questions - autism|thumb|left|300px|The video begins with open-ended questions to let the child

warm up to the conversation.]]