We love to lead inquiry-based education with juicy questions throughout our school.
Once the day’s over, it’s so easy to ask, “How was your day?” Sometimes stories and insights come out. Many times we just hear, “Good.” We know that the capacity to reflect and learn is critical to the work happening in our classrooms every day — here’s an opportunity for you to engage your child in this important work outside of the building. You might even invite them to ask you more about your day, too. Modeling is one of the best ways we teach young people. With this in mind, in the quest for more questions and deeper reflections, here are twenty conversation starters to try with your kiddo at the end of a school day.
- Who did you play with today? Tell me about what you were playing.
- How did your brain grow today? What’s one part of your day that was challenging?
- How did your heart grow today? What told you that it was growing?
- Tell me about something you’re proud of doing today. Did you work with anyone else on it?
- Did you help a friend today? Did a friend help you?
- What made you laugh or smile today? Tell me a story about that.
- What’re you feeling curious about today? How could we look into it together?
- Were you surprised by anything that happened today? How’re you feeling about it now?
- What did you create today? Tell me all about it.
- How were you a good friend today? Who else did you see being a good friend?
- Who did you talk with today? What did you talk about?
- Tell me about something you discovered today. What did you learn about it?
- If you could redo something that happened at school today, what would it be? How would you do it differently?
- What’s one thing you did today that no one else noticed? Tell me a story about it.
- How’re your body and your brain feeling at the end of the day? What happened to make those feelings?
- What’re you feeling grateful for today? Who are you feeling grateful for today?
- Tell me about something kind you did for someone else today. How’re you feeling about it now?
- Can you use five words to make a poem about your day? What about ten?
- What’re you looking forward to tomorrow at school? Why?
- What’s one goal you have for yourself tomorrow? Who do you need to help you accomplish that goal?
