How was your day at school?

As preschool teachers we commonly hear,  “I ask my child, what did you do today?” and he always says, “Nothing.” How can I get him to tell me about his day?  Or “my child comes home every day and complains about school.”  “All I hear is that she didn’t do anything and no one wanted to play with her.”  “I know she enjoys herself, so how can I get her to tell me about the good things in her day?”

Parents are naturally curious about their child’s school experience. It is important to remember that it is impossible for young children to come home every day with a full and accurate report of their day. They many not have the language skills to answer any but the simplest yes or no questions. They may not be able to remember all the activities they did or the classmates they played with.  The parts of their day that stand out will often be the most negative (“No one wanted to play with me.”) or the most dramatic (“So and so got in trouble when they didn’t listen.”)  or the most general (“I played.”)  We as teachers send home interim reports which give you a full picture of your child’s school experience that you cannot get from the child himself.  We are also able to discuss your child’s progress over the phone or set up a time to meet after class at your convenience.  Still, you want your child to feel comfortable sharing some details of their school experience with you. The following questions range from simple to complex and are great conversation starters to encourage dialogue with your child about their day at preschool.

Was there playdough at school today?

Did you go to the activity room today? What games did you play?   

Who did you sit with at snack time today?

Was there painting today?

What areas did you play in today?

Was there anything new at school today?

What was the question of the day?

Did anyone have a problem at school today? How did it get worked out?

Tell me one good thing about your day today?

Is there someone in your class who you really like to play with?

Did anything funny happen at school today?