For example, “What color is that? or “Where is the car?” These questions have value but they are easily answered with just a few words. To expand your child’s mind, don’t forget to also ask questions that begin with why and how.

To answer why and how questions, your child will have to do more than just respond with an answer he has heard before. He’ll have to think. Why and how questions prompt a child to use and understand information. They also encourage conversation.

For example, you could ask your child, “Why is the boy in that picture crying?” “He’s hurt,” your child might say. Then you can go on, “How did he get hurt?”

Remember, asking your child a why or how question is not about getting your child to respond with the right answer. It’s about getting the child to brainstorm a little. At first, especially with young children, some of the answers you hear may be pretend, or may not make much sense. But continue to ask thought-provoking questions. As your child gets older, his answers will make more sense and reflect the thought he has put into them.

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