Teach Kids to Ask and Answer Questions in Speech

Hey SLP friends! 👋

If you’ve been in the speech therapy world for any length of time, you already know how much we focus on answering questions. WH questions? A classic goal. “What did you see?” “Where is the dog?” “Who is eating lunch?” We practice those all day long.

But what about the other side of the conversation?

👉 Teaching students how to ask questions is just as important—yet it doesn’t get nearly as much attention. And when you think about it, asking questions is a huge part of everyday communication. It shows curiosity, helps build relationships, and is a key part of classroom participation and social interaction.

That’s exactly why I love the Asking and Answering Questions: Teach and Practice resource from SpeechTea. It gives you everything you need to explicitly teach both sides of the skill—and actually make it stick.

Why We Need to Teach Kids to Ask Questions

Asking questions isn't just a communication strategy—it’s a life skill. But for our speech students, especially those with language delays or social communication challenges, it doesn’t always come naturally.

Here’s what makes this skill tricky for a lot of our learners:

• They don’t know what type of question to ask

• They’re not sure how to phrase it

• They don’t understand why someone would want to answer

• They might ask inappropriate or off-topic questions without realizing it

And that’s where direct instruction comes in.

Step 1: Teach the Question Types

We can’t expect students to ask great questions if they don’t understand what different questions are for. This resource breaks down the common WH questions in a super simple, student-friendly way:

• Who = person

• What = object or action

• Where = place

• When = time

• Why = reason

• How = process, quality, quantity

I like to pair each type with visuals and real-world examples. Think: picture scenes, short stories, or even fun role-play games. This helps kids connect the question type with a purpose.

Step 2: Talk About What’s Appropriate

Once students have a handle on question forms, it’s important to teach the social rules behind asking.

Some questions are totally fine with your teacher, but might be too personal for a classmate. Some might be okay with a family member but not with a stranger. The resource includes practice activities and prompts to help students sort through what’s appropriate to ask—and when.

This is gold for our students who struggle with social cues, because it turns abstract rules into something they can see and practice.

Step 3: Practice, Practice, Practice

Once the groundwork is laid, it’s all about layered practice.

Start with visual supports and structured prompts. Then slowly fade supports as students build confidence. This resource includes multiple levels of activities so you can meet students right where they are—and challenge them when they’re ready.

A few of my favorite ways to use it:

• Group games with question cards

• 1:1 structured practice using visuals and sentence stems

• Partner interviews where students take turns asking and answering

• Matching question types to picture scenes or situations

• Social scenario role plays to tie it all together

The best part? You’re not stuck scrambling for materials—everything is already laid out in a way that’s clear, organized, and ready to go.

Great for Mixed Groups Too

This resource is perfect if you’ve got mixed goals in one session. You can target expressive language, receptive language, pragmatics, and even articulation if you want to pair it with target sound words.

It’s especially helpful for kids with:

• Expressive/receptive language delays

• ASD or social communication needs

• Low confidence in group participation

• Difficulty initiating conversation

And let’s be honest, that probably describes half your caseload.

This Asking and Answering Questions resource takes out the guesswork and gives you a simple framework to follow. It’s ideal for therapy planning, progress monitoring, and (most importantly) helping your students grow as communicators.

So if you’re ready to teach this skill in a way that actually sticks—grab the resource and start using it tomorrow. Your future self (and your students!) will thank you!!