As a mom, I am frustrated when I ask my son what he did at school today and he replies “nothing”. As a Montessori teacher, I’m even more frustrated when I hear my students give that same response to their parents. I want to say “What do you mean you did nothing? We worked like crazy all day long!” Parents used to come to me asking what their child was doing all day in my Montessori classroom because they couldn't get them to share their experiences at home.
I wondered how to elicit more response from both my children and my son and analyzed both the question and the responses. First, we ask our spouse or our friends “How was your day”? They respond with “fine” or “ OK”, and elaborate as they feel the need. So I tried asking my son about his day and he responded in kind, without elaborating. This, I felt, wasn't any better than the “nothing” response I’d gotten before.
I realized that children need more direct questioning. They are developing the art of communication and therefore need to be guided through the process. I started asking questions that required more than one word answers.
