It’s not as easy as it seems

Encourage your child to ask lots of questions. Asking questions unlocks opportunities for learning and is a skill students should be practicing from the earliest grades. Understandably, many students are reluctant to ask questions. Some students fear appearing vulnerable, especially in a classroom setting. Some students don’t have the words and don’t know what to ask. For the former, remind your child that asking questions is a sign of confidence and intelligence, not weakness. For the latter, offer sentence starters and role-playing for practice. Give your child the latitude to ask questions in a manner that’s comfortable for them: perhaps one-on-one with a teacher before or after class, after school, or even by email. That they ask is more important than how they ask, especially at the beginning. The key is that they begin to feel the empowerment this simple self-advocacy tool reveals.