Teaching the 5-W-H questions: Part 1
By Christine Marchant
Teaching the 5-W-H questions (who, what where why and how) is different for each child. At least, that’s what I thought, until one day I realized that I’ve been teaching it for several years. I discovered that the verbal level of the child does not matter. I have a child who is not much higher than “non verbal.” She is very intelligent, but is unable to express herself. Without realizing it, I actually taught her the 5-W-H questions. I sat down and started to write down the formula I used. I then tried it on my preschool boy, and he got it! I then tried it on my other preschool boy and he got it! I was amazed! I wrote out the formula step by step, and next week, I will try it on my older boy.
I’m not a speech pathologist, but I do have decades of experience raising children, and 5 years experience as a child development facilitator. I am on many full service teams. I am only sharing my experience working with many therapists and children. This is the formula that works for me.
The 5-W-H questions can be very difficult to teach because they are abstract and can be a challenge for children and their support aides. I started with the most concrete and easy W question, and then worked up to the most abstract and difficult questions, which are WHY and HOW. Children will move through these steps at different speeds. The amount of time isn’t the goal. The goal is to have the child concretely understand the question and why and when to use it. Stay with the formula and repeat as often as needed. If the child ‘loses their grasp’ of the knowledge, just drop back one step, do a quick review, and when it’s concrete again move to the next step. Don’t change the order or the formula. Just go forward and backwards.
My girl took 3 years, my preschool boys took weeks, and my older boy will most likely have it mastered in a few sessions. Go slow and stay faithful to the formula. Do not move to the next level until the previous levels are set, concrete, and consistent. Once the child knows the formula, you don’t need the visual. I use the visual for my girl because she’s still almost non verbal and LOVES to print her thoughts. The visual helps her remember where each answer belongs. Once the child is consistently responding correctly to each question, you can mix them up and be creative.
On a sheet of paper, create 6 columns and in each column, print the 5-W-H questions allow enough space to print at least 4-5 words.
___________________________________________________________________
WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN WHY HOW
___________________________________________________________________
I like to use a set of 24 photos. Use 6 at a time- 3 turns each. I keep it to 10 to 15 minutes per activity.
I repeat the activity twice. Then put it away, I do this twice a session. It’s more effective to teach shorter lengths of time more often than longer times, less often.
Leave the columns blank and laminate the sheet.
Level 1
- Only ask WHO and leave the rest of the columns blank
- WHO is riding the bike?
- Do this for each photo, the adult should go first to model the correct response.
- Take turns until the 6 photos are done.
- Stay on this level until the child is consistently responding correctly
Level 2
- Only ask WHO-WHAT and leave the rest blank
- Do this for each photo, and the adult should go first to model the correct response.
- Take turns until the 6 photos are done.
- Stay on this level until the child is consistently responding correctly.
- WHO is riding the bike?
- WHAT is the boy doing?
Level 3
- Only ask WHO-WHAT-WHERE and leave the rest blank
- Do this for each photo, yougo first to model the correct response.
- Take turns until the 6 photos are done.
- Stay on this level until the child is consistently responding correctly
- WHO is riding the bike?
- What is the boy doing?
- WHERE are they riding the bike?
- Follow the same steps as level 1 and 2
Level 4
- Only ask WHO-WHAT-WHERE-WHEN
- WHO is riding the bike?
- WHAT is the boy doing?
- WHERE are they riding the bike?
- WHEN are they riding the bike?
- Repeat the same steps.
Level 5
- Only ask WHO-WHAT-WHERE-WHEN-WHY
- WHO is riding the bike?
- WHAT is the boy doing?
- WHERE are they riding the bike?
- WHEN are they riding the bike?
- WHY are they riding the bike?
- Follow the same steps
Level 6
- Only ask WHO-WHAT-WHERE-WHEN-HOW.
- WHO is riding the bike?
- WHAT is the boy doing?
- WHERE are they riding the bike?
- WHEN are they riding the bike?
- WHY are they riding the bike?
- HOW are they riding the bike?
- Repeat the same steps.