Helping Children Ask Questions in English
Go beyond answering the teacher. Practise what, where and can with a hidden-object game, short dialogues and an interactive question activity.
Quick answer: Give the child a real information gap. Model one question such as “What is it?”, “Where is it?” or “Can I…?”, then swap the roles of the person asking and the person who knows the answer.
2026-10-05 · Stayeng parent guide
Put this guide into practice
- Choose one question pattern.
- Create a game where only one player knows the answer.
- Swap asking and answering roles.
- Share one independently asked question with the teacher.
Try it together
Choose an answer and read the explanation. This is a short practice activity, not a level test. Answers are not saved.
You want to know the location.
- What is it?
- Where is it?
- Can I sit?
Answer and explanation
Where is it?: Where asks about a place: “Where is it?” — “In the box.”
You do not know what the object is.
- What is it?
- Where is it?
- I am happy.
Answer and explanation
What is it?: What asks about its identity: “What is it?” — “It is a pencil.”
Choose a polite request for a pencil.
- Where is blue?
- It is red.
- Can I have the pencil, please?
Answer and explanation
Can I have the pencil, please?: Can I have…? can request an object. Act out the reply “Yes, here you are.”
Create a reason to ask
If an adult knows every answer and asks every question, a child can stay in the answering role. Put an object in a bag and let only one player know what it is. The other player now needs a question to move the game forward.
Cambridge English highlights real reasons for using language. This home activity applies that idea on a small scale: use one question that matters to the game, rather than asking a child to memorise a long list of unrelated questions.
What and where do different jobs
“What is it?” asks about the object’s identity. “Where is it?” asks about its location. Once the object is known, hide it in a box in the room to make the difference visible. You can practise just one question in the first round.
Try “What is it?” — “It is a pencil.” Then “Where is it?” — “In the box.” A beginner can give the short answer. Take turns being the questioner too. Not knowing the object’s name and not knowing how to form the question are different difficulties.
Use Can I for a small request
During a drawing task, keep the red pencil with you. Model “Can I have the red pencil, please?” If that is too much, point and use “Can I have it, please?” The goal is to start a meaningful request, not to repeat the longest possible sentence.
Reply naturally: “Yes, here you are.” Then ask your child for the pencil and let them pass it to you. Do not use Can I as a substitute for every question type; asking about a location needs a different model.
Play a brief hidden-object round
Choose three familiar objects. One player hides an object while the other asks what it is and where it is. Limit possible answers at first: pencil or book, bag or box. Swap roles once the object is found. There is no need for a timer or score.
A more confident learner can collect a clue with “Is it blue?” Add only one new question pattern per round. If word order goes wrong, model the useful question again naturally instead of stopping the entire game for a grammar lecture.
Share useful observations with the teacher
Tell the Stayeng teacher something concrete, such as “My child answers questions but rarely starts one.” The teacher can reverse a classroom game so the child supplies information or initiates a request. Taking a speaking turn can be a useful next step before harder vocabulary.
For a small home note, distinguish repeating a model, asking with a hint and asking independently. These observations are not formal level scores. They simply help you and the teacher understand which support is useful.
Frequently asked questions
Should I accept a one-word question?
Keep the exchange going and offer a short complete model. If the child says “Pencil?”, demonstrate “Can I have the pencil, please?” without withholding the object as a punishment.
Should we teach every question word together?
No. Begin with one purpose: identifying something, finding a place or asking permission. Add another when the first feels manageable.