It is common for adults to try to encourage conversation with their child by asking questions.  We like to see what a child knows but this can be difficult for children who are not yet talking and even for those who are talking, they may feel like they are being “quizzed” and not want to answer. 

Decreasing questions, however, can actually increase communication as it takes the pressure off your child.   The rule of thumb is to say at least 3 comments before asking a question.

When we reduce questions and make comments instead, children can hear clear models of the words during play and daily routines and they are able to choose whether they want to respond or not. 

Instead of asking questions, try:

• Turning questions into comments:  For example, instead of “What are you eating?” you could say, “You’re eating a sandwich. The sandwich is yummy. You took a big bite!” 
• Modelling the word:  While playing bubbles, instead of saying, “Can you say ____” you can model, “pop, boom, pop the bubbles, more bubbles”.

Making comments exposes your child to a lot more language and you are modeling how to comment, which is more natural to conversations than asking test questions, like “What’s this? What does a cow say? What color is this?”

You can also use “auditory closure” instead of questions:  Have your child fill in the blank instead of asking “what is it?”.  For example, while playing with a ball, you could say “It’s a ____”.  When doing this, pause and give your child time to process this and fill in the blank.

Remember, it’s about balancing those questions with lots of comments.  It’s okay to ask questions, but try not to ask too many questions, especially “test questions” and avoid putting added pressure on your child to talk.