Conversations help children learn new words, practise speaking, and express ideas. They teach about listening, taking turns, and responding. Having a conversation with your child makes language learning fun and natural.

To help build your child’s conversation skills:

• Start by talking about things your child likes. This helps keep them interested.
• Ask questions that need more than yes-or-no answers. Give your child time to think before they respond.
• Ask questions you know your child can answer.
• Ask your child open-ended questions like “why?” or “how?”
• Show your child how to have a good conversation by taking turns, listening carefully, and responding kindly.

Here are 50 questions you can use to start conversations with your child.

Favourite things

These questions help you and your child talk about what they like and why:

• What’s your favourite game to play?
• What’s your favorite song? Why do you like it?
• What’s your favorite weather? Why do you like that weather?
• What’s your favorite time of day? Why?
• What’s your favorite story?
• What’s your favorite food?
• What’s your favorite treat? What do you like about it?
• What’s your favourite thing about summer?
• What’s your favourite thing of the winter?
• What’s your favorite thing to do with a friend?

Imagination

These questions encourage your child’s creative thinking:

• If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
• If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be? What would you be doing?
• If you could only keep one toy, which one would you keep? Why?
• If you could only keep one book, which one would you keep? Why?
• If you could re-name yourself, what would you like to be called? Why?
• If you could be any vegetable, which would you be?
• If you could have any animal for a pet, which one would you choose?
• If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
• What superhero would you want to be and why?
• If you could play any instrument, which would you choose and why?
• What would you do with a million dollars?

Memories and experiences

These questions help your child remember things that have happened and their feelings about them:

• What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever made?
• When was the last time you were silly? What did you do?
• What’s the best gift you ever got? What made it special?
• Have you ever lost something you really liked? What did you do?
• What’s the coolest thing you have ever seen?
• What’s the best thing that ever happened to you?
• What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you?
• What’s the best surprise you ever had?
• What’s the first thing that you remember about mom or dad (or a sibling or any important person is your child’s life)?

Identity

These questions help your child talk about and think about who they are and want to be.

• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• What makes you smile or laugh?
• What would you like to collect and why?
• What sound annoys you the most?
• What’s something you don’t like?
• What’s one thing you forget to do regularly?
• What are you thinking about right now?
• How would you describe yourself to someone who hasn’t met you?
• What’s something you would like to learn to do?
• What’s something you like doing and why?

Relationships

These questions are about how your child relates to other people:

• What do you like the most about your family?
• What would you like to do more with your family or friends?
• What do you enjoy doing with your family?
• What are the qualities that make a good friend?
• What’s something special you want to do for a friend?
• What makes you smile or laugh?
• What would you like me to play with you?
• What’s the nicest thing someone has done for you?
• What was the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?
• Who’s the funniest person you know?

Where to get help

To learn how speech-language pathologists and audiologists can help with speech, language, and hearing concerns, contact your child’s healthcare provider or visit Pediatric Rehabilitation.​​