Are We Asking Children Too Many Questions?
“What colour is it?”
“What are you doing?”
“Where’s the dog?”
“What’s that?”
“How many can you see?”
“What happens next?”
If you work in Early Years, chances are you have definately heard (or said!) phrases like these!
We know that we ask questions because we want to encourage children to communicate.
We want to extend their language, find out what they know, develop their thinking and keep them engaged, and questions questions do have their place.
But there is something worth pausing to think about for a moment...
Are we sometimes asking children so many questions that we leave them with less opportunity to simply listen, observe, process and communicate in their own way?
Speech and Language Therapists frequently encourage adults to use more comments and fewer questions, particularly when supporting children with emerging speech, language and communication skills.
This isn't about never asking a child a question.
It's about considering whether every interaction needs to be a question.
For a child who is still developing their understanding of language, a question can sometimes feel like a demand for an answer.
They may not understand what we are asking.
They may know the answer but not yet have the words to tell us.
They may need longer to process the question.
Or they may simply not understand why we are asking them something that we already know.
For example:
“What colour is this?”
The adult already knows it's red.
Instead, we could say:
“You've got the red one!”
Or:
“Wow, that's a bright red car.”
The child is still hearing the vocabulary. They are still learning. But they aren't being asked to perform or produce an answer.
NHS speech and language therapy guidance similarly encourages adults to turn questions into comments, giving children language models and reducing the pressure to respond.
So what does commenting actually look like?
Commenting is simply talking about what the child is interested in, looking at, doing or experiencing.
Imagine a child playing with a farm.
Rather than:
“What's that?”
“What animal is that?”
“What does a cow say?”
“Where's the tractor?”
We might say:
“Cow!”
“The cow is eating.”
“Moo!”
“There's the tractor.”
“The tractor's going really fast!”
“Big tractor.”
We are giving the child lots of useful language to hear.
We are modelling vocabulary.
We are following their interests.
And most importantly, we are creating opportunities for them to join in without constantly requiring them to answer us!
Speech and language therapy resources describe commenting as a way of giving children repeated exposure to useful words in meaningful, everyday situations.
“But don't questions encourage children to talk?”
They can.
Questions are an important part of communication and have a role in developing language, conversation, reasoning and understanding.
The issue isn't questions.
The issue is the balance.
We can sometimes fall into a pattern where almost every interaction becomes:
Question → answer → question → answer → question
Especially in Early Years settings, this can happen without us even realising it.
We might be trying to extend a child's learning.
We might be checking their understanding.
We might be trying to encourage them to talk.
But if we take a step back and listen to the interaction, we may realise that the adult is doing most of the talking, and most of the child's communication is happening in response to adult questions.
This is particularly important for children who have speech, language and communication needs.
Some NHS speech and language therapy services recommend a simple principle such as four comments to every one question, or a similar “more comments, fewer questions” approach.
It isn't a rigid rule that we need to count all day.
It's simply a useful reminder:
Are we giving children enough language to listen to, rather than constantly asking them to produce it?
What happens when we pause?
This is another strategy that can make a surprisingly big difference.
We make a comment…
and then we wait.
It can feel uncomfortable.
We are so used to filling the silence.
But that pause gives the child an opportunity.
They might say something.
They might sign.
They might point.
They might look towards something.
They might make a sound.
They might gesture.
They might move closer.
They might do absolutely nothing. and that's okay too!
Communication doesn't always mean spoken words.
NHS guidance highlights the importance of giving children time to process what adults have said and allowing space for them to respond or initiate communication.
Sometimes, the most useful thing we can do after modelling language is simply wait and see what the child does next.
What about Makaton?
This is one of the reasons I love using Makaton alongside spoken language.
When we use a sign alongside a spoken word, we are giving children another way to access and express communication.
Imagine a child reaching for the bubbles.
Instead of immediately asking:
“What do you want?”
We might say:
“Bubbles!” + Makaton sign
Then pause.
The child might attempt the sign.
They might vocalise.
They might reach.
They might look at us.
They might say “bubbles”.
Or they might simply continue waiting.
We've still provided a meaningful language model without turning the moment into a test.
Makaton can become part of those everyday moments of commenting, modelling, repetition and shared attention.
What about questions in Early Years?
Questions do still matter!
We should not remove questions from our interactions with children.
Instead, we can think about why we are asking the question and whether the child is ready to respond to it.
For example
Instead of:
“What are you making?”
Try:
“You're making a tower.”
Instead of:
“What colour is that?”
Try:
“You've got the blue one.”
Instead of:
“What's the dog doing?”
Try:
“The dog is running!”
Instead of:
“Where's the car?”
Try:
“There's the car!”
And sometimes, rather than asking an open question, a choice can make communication much easier:
“Apple or banana?”
“Red or blue?”
“Bubbles or ball?”
Choices can provide the child with the words they need while still giving them control o
ver the interaction.
Try this in your setting this week
Don't change anything immediately.
Just listen.
Choose five minutes during play, snack time, outdoor play or a group activity.
Listen to the language being used.
How many questions are being asked?
How many comments?
How often are adults talking about what the child is actually interested in?
How often are children being given time to respond?
And how often do we ask a question when we already know the answer?
You might be surprised by what you notice!
And this isn't about judging ourselves (or our colleagues!)
Questioning is something many of us have been encouraged to use because we genuinely want to support children's learning.
It's simply about becoming more intentional.
From “testing” to talking
Perhaps the biggest shift is changing the purpose of the interaction.
Instead of thinking:
“How can I get this child to talk?”
we can think:
“How can I give this child meaningful language and create opportunities for them to communicate?”
Instead of:
“Can they tell me what this is?”
we can think:
“How many times can they hear this word used meaningfully?”
Instead of:
“Why aren't they answering me?”
we can think:
“Have I given them enough time, the right level of language and a genuine reason to respond?”
These small changes can make our interactions feel much more natural.
And for some children, particularly those with speech, language and communication needs, they can make communication feel less pressured and more achievable.
Communication isn't a quiz.
It is easy to forget, particularly in busy Early Years environments, that communication isn't just about getting children to answer questions correctly.
It is about connection.
It is about sharing attention.
It is about having something to say and knowing that someone is interested in hearing it.
So next time you're playing with a child, sharing a book, having snack or exploring outdoors, try asking one less question.
Make a comment instead.
Follow their lead.
Model the language.
Use a sign.
Pause.
Watch.
Listen.
And see what happens.
Because sometimes the most powerful thing we can give a child isn't another question.
It's the language, time and space they need to communicate.
A little challenge from us at Sign & Bloom:
This week, try swapping some of your questions for comments then tell us what you noticed.
Did the child initiate more?
Did they use a new word or sign?
Did they communicate in a way you hadn't noticed before?
Or did the interaction simply feel more relaxed?
Comments