Our kiddos are back to school, and many parents are wondering what happens during their children's days in new classrooms with new teachers and new friends. But, it can be hard to get details from kids, and even more so from children with communication difficulties.

If your child has a hard time remembering and/or explaining what happened at school, talk to his/her teacher about getting a daily log of main events/activities. This doesn't have to be complicated or lengthy. A checklist of specials and a few jotted details can be enough for you to launch a conversation. You can review the home log and then ask more specific questions, like "What game did you play in gym?" or "How did your presentation go?"

For all children, this article has some good ideas for specific questions to open conversations.

And, another fun idea is to play Two Truths & A Lie (About Our Day). This is a silly, social, and engaging way to involve everyone in sharing ideas and asking questions. It also gets kids thinking in creative ways about what happened in their day (and what didn't!).

Guiding our children through conversations about their lives helps to strengthen their communication skills AND reinforces our connection to them. Happy sharing!

http://www.pbs.org/…/talking-with-kids-about-sch…/questions/