25 Ways to Ask Your Kids 'So How Was School Today?'

25 Ways to Ask Your Kids 'So How Was School Today?' Without Asking Them 'So How Was School Today?'

This year, Simon is in fourth grade and Grace is in first grade, and I find myself asking them every day after school, "So how was school today?"

And every day I get an answer like "fine" or "good," which doesn't tell me a whole lot.
AND I WANT TO KNOW A WHOLE LOT!!!!

Or at least get a full sentence. So the other night, I sat down and made a list of more engaging questions to ask about school. They aren't perfect, but I do at least get complete sentences, and some have led to some interesting conversations... and hilarious answers... and some insights into how my kids think and feel about school.

「你今日返學點呀？」、「攰唔攰呀？」、「開唔開心呀？」9月開學，家長都想關心仔女上學情況，但問來問去「三幅被」，小朋友都唔願答。曾任高中教師的美國靚媽Liz Evan設計了25條問題，並上載到網誌與其他家長分享，讓大家無須問「返學點呀？」都可以知道仔女「返成點」。短短幾日已經吸引超過200萬人次到其網誌「偷師」，更成為傳媒訪問焦點。

其實，靚媽Liz Evan設計的25條問題都是「兜個圈」去問仔女上學情況，但來得有趣味得多。美國全國廣播公司記者「偷師」後，試問仔女學校有沒有什麼事情讓他們發笑，結果仔女樂意地訴說：「我的老師是新來的，我和同學都有協助他。」

靚媽Liz Evan自言最喜歡第12、15及21項問題，而關於外星人的問題，可以讓子女舒適地表達最不希望誰存在於課堂中，家長可「打蛇隨棍上」，詢問為何希望該人物被外星人帶走，仔女就會不知不覺地表達自己的不滿，家長可因應情況提供協助，更重要是了解自己的孩子。

1. What was the best thing that happened at school today? (What was the worst thing that happened at school today?)  今日喺學校遇到最好嘅事係乜？（或遇到最壞嘅事係乜？）
2. Tell me something that made you laugh today.  話我知今日有乜嘢令你係咁笑？

3. If you could choose, who would you like to sit by in class? (Who would you NOT want to sit by in class? Why?)   如果有得揀，你最想邊個同學仔坐你隔離？（或者最唔希望坐你隔離？）

4. Where is the coolest place at the school? 學校邊個地方最吸引呢？

5. Tell me a weird word that you heard today. (Or something weird that someone said.) 話我知你今日聽過最古怪嘅詞語係乜？（或從某人聽過最古怪嘅事？）

6. If I called your teacher tonight, what would she tell me about you? 如果今晚我打電話俾老師，你估老師會同我講你啲乜呢？
7. How did you help somebody today? 你今日點樣幫助人？
8. How did somebody help you today? 人哋今日點樣幫你呀？
9. Tell me one thing that you learned today.  講一樣你今日學到嘅新嘢？
10. When were you the happiest today? 今日邊個時間最開心？
11. When were you bored today?  今日邊個時間最悶？

12. If an alien spaceship came to your class and beamed someone up, who would you want them to take?  如果有太空船去到班房要捉走一個人，你想邊個俾外星人捉走？

13. Who would you like to play with at recess that you've never played with before?  有邊個同學仔你未同佢玩過，好想小息搵佢一齊玩？
14. Tell me something good that happened today.  話我知今日發生過乜嘢好事？
15. What word did your teacher say most today?  邊個詞語老師今日講得最多？
16. What do you think you should do/learn more of at school?  你覺得有乜嘢你要喺學校做／學多啲？
17. What do you think you should do/learn less of at school?  你覺得有乜嘢你要喺學校做／學少啲？
18. Who in your class do you think you could be nicer to?  你覺得要對邊個同學仔好啲？
19. Where do you play the most at recess?  小息時你通常去邊度玩？
20. Who is the funniest person in your class? Why is he/she so funny?  邊個同班同學最得意？點解係佢？
21. What was your favorite part of lunch?  午餐最鍾意係乜？
22. If you got to be the teacher tomorrow, what would you do?  如果聽日你係老師，你會做乜？
23. Is there anyone in your class who needs a time-out?  班上有邊個同學仔要罰佢冷靜下？
24. If you could switch seats with anyone in the class, who would you trade with? Why?  如果有得調位，你最想同邊個調？
25. Tell me about three different times you used your pencil today at school.  今日你分別三次用鉛筆做過啲乜？


28 Ways To Ask Your Teens 'How Was School Today?' Without Asking Them 'How Was School Today?'

1. Where in the school do you hang out the most? (Like a particular hall, classroom, parking lot, etc.) Where in the school do you never hang out?
2. What would your school be better with? What would your school be better without?
3. If you were a teacher, what class would you teach? Which class would be the worst to teach? Why?
4. What was the coolest (saddest, funniest, scariest) thing that you saw today?
5. Tell me one thing that you learned today.
6. If your day at school today was a movie, what movie would it be?
7. Besides walking to their next classes, what else do people do in the halls in between classes?
8. Who do you think you could be nicer to?
9. Which is your easiest class? Which is your hardest class? OR Which class are you learning the most in? Which class are you learning the least in?
10. If they played music in the halls at school, what would everyone want them to play over the loudspeaker?
11. If you could read minds, which teacher's mind would you read? Which classmate's mind would you read? Whose mind would you NOT want to read?
12. If today had a theme song, what would it be?
13. Which class has your favorite group of students in it? Which class has the worst group of students?
14. What do you think you should do more of at school? What do you think you should do less of?
15. What are the top three (or five) things that you hear people say in the halls?
16. What do you think the most important part of school is?
17. Tell me one question that you had today, even if it wasn't answered... actually, especially if it wasn't answered...
18. Which class has the most cute boys/girls in it?
19. If an alien spaceship landed at your school, who would you like them to beam aboard and take back to their home planet?
20. Who did you help today? Who helped you today?
21. If you could be invisible for the day at school, what would you do?
22. What part of the day do you look forward to? What part of the day do you dread?
23. What would you change about school lunch?
24. Which classmate is most likely to be arrested, made president, become a millionaire, be in movies, let loose a flock of wild chickens in the library, etc.?
25. If you had to go to only one class every day, which class would it be?
26. Tell me one thing you read at school today.
27. If your day at school was an emoticon, which one would it be?
28. What do you think your teachers talked about in the faculty room today after school?