• Home
  • Blog
  • Categories
    • Subjects
    • Organize & Manage
    • Thematic & Seasonal
  • Freebies
  • Store
  • FAQ/Contact
Traci Clausen - Engaging TeachingTraci Clausen - Engaging Teaching
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Categories
    • Subjects
    • Organize & Manage
    • Thematic & Seasonal
  • Freebies
  • Store
  • FAQ/Contact

How to Teach Kids the Difference Between Questions and Statements

Home » How to Teach Kids the Difference Between Questions and Statements
How Does Your Dragon Fly?

How to Teach Kids the Difference Between Questions and Statements

Do you snicker and giggle and roll your eyes and say “oh no” in your head when someone visits your classroom near the beginning of the year and asks “Any questions?” Read on to find out how I teach my kiddos the difference between questions and statements.

Those visitors don’t know the focus of 5-6 year old minds.

The kiddos struggle with the difference between questions and statements. All they hear when they’re asked “Any questions?” is “What do you want to say?”.

Generally, they want to say a lot – and so rarely is it in question form.

We have behavior assemblies within the first couple weeks of school wherein the principal meets with each grade level and discusses expectations and rules for the playground/campus and gives an all over reminder of what it means to be a student at our school. It’s all great. Except for at the end when he says “Any questions?” – I always cringe as he is hit with a barrage of statements, reiterations of what he JUST said, and stories.

It’s a 5-6 year old free for all. Oh how they love to speak to a captive audience.

“My sister went down the slide backwards once, and scratched her arm.”

“My cousin was running on the playground and he got hurt, ‘cuz he fell.”

“It is important to follow the rules and be good.”

All fabulous sentences – none questions.

The Lessons

So, each year I begin the school year with lessons on question words and the difference between questions and statements right at the beginning of the year. It takes a while for some of them to get it. “Your questions MUST start with a question word.” “A question is something that can be answered – not a story.” I’m a broken record.

We make posters. Ask each other questions. Pair up to see how many questions we can ask each other WITHOUT telling a story or statement. (This is harder than you’d think!)

We refer to our question word poster a lot.

Question Word Poster

I read a bunch of dragon stories at the beginning of the year. The absurdity and playfulness leads to lots of question opportunities. We discuss what we’d ask the characters in the stories. We often have a lot of unanswered questions, like “Where’d that dragon come from in the first place?”

There’s NO Such Thing as a Dragon, When a Dragon Moves In and A Dragon in My Backpack are a few of our favorites. (Amazon Affiliate links)

I like using dragon stories for asking questions lessons. They lead to a lot of questions which just helps in understanding. The kids can get super creative.

The Activities

We also complete a few dragon-themed question activities.

We do multi-faceted things with these pages from the How Does Your Dragon Fly? resource and all other pages that we work on during the week – really anything where questions are asked. First we identify the question words we find. We also highlight question marks. Then we work on forming answers.

The activity, A Pet Dragon, is a great way to practice using the words found in the question in your answer.

“Would you like to have a pet dragon?”

“Yes, I would like to have a pet dragon.”

How Does Your Dragon Fly Activities

Release The Dragons

How Does Your Dragon Fly Activity

Isn’t he/she/it cute?

This fun culminating activity is quick, wraps it all up and is truly engaging.

How Does your Dragon Fly?

Adorable on a bulletin board. Copy all the parts blacklines on different colors so there will be lots of different dragons on the wall.

How Does Your Dragon Fy Bulletin Board

The How Does Your Dragon Fly? resource includes a question word poster, the blacklines for the dragon parts and a couple of question word activities as well as a question response sheet that tucks under the dragon’s belly. It’s great for the back to school introduction of questions vs. statements – but really can be used any time of the year.Click to check in out in my store.

How Does Your Dragon Fly?

Does it take your kiddos a bit of time to understand the difference between a question and a statement when speaking? What kinds of things do you do to teach them this skill?

You might also be interested in . . .

Share

20 Comments

Leave your reply.
  • salley
    · Reply

    August 1, 2012 at 11:01 AM

    This is so cute! I like the idea of tucking the response sheet under the dragon's belly.

  • meadowt
    · Reply

    August 1, 2012 at 11:34 AM

    This is a great idea! Would love to win it!!
    Barbara
    happyteachingfirst.blogspot.com

    • meadowt
      · Reply

      August 1, 2012 at 11:35 AM

      oops forgot my email
      [email protected]

  • Delighted
    · Reply

    August 1, 2012 at 12:39 PM

    The dragon graphics are very cute!

    [email protected]

  • Laura Detweiler
    · Reply

    August 1, 2012 at 2:20 PM

    Looks like a great lesson. Great idea to start the year with it.
    Laura
    [email protected]

  • Cathy Irwin
    · Reply

    August 1, 2012 at 2:36 PM

    This is one of those things that drives me crazy too! This looks great!

    Cathy I.
    [email protected]
    Mrs. I's Class

  • Kate
    · Reply

    August 1, 2012 at 2:57 PM

    This is really cute! My kiddos always have a hard time with that concept.

    Kate
    kdsullivan723 {at} gmail {dot} com

  • sassygirl
    · Reply

    August 1, 2012 at 3:36 PM

    Does the kit contain more detailed instructions on how to do the lesson? The dragons are ubercute (our school mascot by the way) but I am not sure I understand what the product does from your blog post. I know it is an awkward tight rope act to provide enough description to make people want to buy the product with giving away so they don't need to. But I want to be sure it is going to meet my needs before I buy. Of course, I should visit the product description in the store, duh. I guess I'll go do that now, Thanks.

    • [email protected]
      · Reply

      August 2, 2012 at 2:32 AM

      Yep… details, instructions, lesson ideas.. all included 😀

  • Kristina
    · Reply

    August 1, 2012 at 4:53 PM

    Oh oh, I hate that question, too! A month or so into the year I will actually begin cutting students off i'd-sentence at assemblies if they are "telling" instead of asking. When time is limited, they have to stick to the plan! I know. Harsh, right? But for the kids who really do have a question that they took the time to think of and are dying to ask, they are grateful. I do start teaching question sentences pretty early on for this reason. We've got some super curious kids (with unlimited stories, lol) that need to know how to ask their question. 🙂

  • Suzanne Schiess
    · Reply

    August 2, 2012 at 1:38 AM

    What a great lesson! I'd love to win.
    Suzanne

  • Rachelle
    · Reply

    August 2, 2012 at 4:00 AM

    YOU=AMAZING!!!!!

    • [email protected]
      · Reply

      August 2, 2012 at 4:09 AM

      <3

  • Fluttering Through First Grade
    · Reply

    August 2, 2012 at 5:45 AM

    Those dragons are delightful! It is so hard to know the difference between a question and statement at the beginning of the year. Love these!!

    Christy & Tammy

  • Barbara
    · Reply

    August 3, 2012 at 6:54 AM

    The dragons are so pretty! It's very funny how hard the concept of "question" is. I hope I win this 'cause I need help in this area– ha ha!

    ❀Barbara❀
    Grade ONEderful
    Ruby Slippers Blog Designs

  • Melissa M.
    · Reply

    August 3, 2012 at 8:02 AM

    Ha ha! So true! We have a fireman visit the classroom early in the school year and that always happens! I would love to win this pack. I just started following your blog.
    Melissa
    Teacher Treasure Hunter

  • Shelly
    · Reply

    August 4, 2012 at 9:58 PM

    This is very true. I teach Special Education, I wanted my first year to go out of the world for my students. Last year I had several visitors come to the school and every time they asked my students this question adn every time the same thing happened. As a new teacher this packet would be wonderful to use in my classroom I have a self contained class and have several different levels that I complete lesson plans each day.

  • Jennifer
    · Reply

    August 5, 2012 at 3:26 AM

    This is so cute!! My kids always have a hard time with knowing the difference between questions, stories and comments.

    Jennifer
    jenniferlalsip(at)yahoo(dot)com
    The First Grade Dream
    Win an iPad for your classroom

  • marlana
    · Reply

    October 1, 2012 at 6:30 PM

    Hi, your blog is super cute but I have a question… I saw on pinterest "I have a… who has a… for short vowel words" as a freebee… but I can't find it! Can you help me? [email protected]

    • [email protected]
      · Reply

      October 1, 2012 at 10:42 PM

      Hi Marlana,
      Thanks!
      The blog link is {here}.

      And the TpT link is {here}.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

I’m passionate about helping teachers find their joy, develop efficiency and ignite their own teaching strengths. I’m so happy you’re here!

 

Recent Posts

  • Grammar Boost
  • Word Work Activities Extravaganza!
  • Kindergarten Literacy Activities
  • Phonics & Sight Word Practice with Chunky Monkey
  • The Most Important Reading & Writing Strategies

TRENDING ON TPT

AFFILIATES

Educational & Teacher Supplies

SitSpots Logo

Daily Boutique Deals


Cricut Logo

Stay in Touch!

Exclusive Planner Help Videos
 
Contact & FAQ

 

Hi! I’m Traci and I’m super glad you’re here. I’m passionate about sharing all the *wisdom* gained over my many years of teaching. I love helping teachers find their joy, develop efficiency and ignite their own teaching strengths. I believe simplicity and fun coupled with effective strategies and engaging and focused lessons are the key to it all. Also… laughter can carry you through just about all things.

Check out my classroom FAV’s on AMAZON!

 

Traci Clausen, Inc. (Traci Clausen – Engaging Teaching) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

© 2021 · Traci Clausen - Engaging Teaching

Prev Next