Parents and the conversations that they have with children

I just recently read The Innovative Educators post, "Back to School Questions for Innovative Families to Ask Their Children", and it got me thinking about how the students I teach interact with their parents once they arrive home from a long day at school. I always spoke with my parents about my school day, if only for a few minutes, when I was a little kid and I hope this practice is still going on among families today.

Just a few of the questions that were encouraging are noted below:

1) What did you teach others?
2) What unanswered questions are you struggling with?
3) How did you change the world in some small (or big) way?
4) What’s something your teachers learned today?
5) What did you share with the world?

*http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2009/08/back-to-school-questions-for-innovative.html?showComment=1252028427117#c4785946619265686318

Teachers are always prompting students to think and go beyond what they feel comfortable with. If parents do the same thing, even if only by asking one simple question, then their children will only benefit from the conversation and engagement. I will definitely start to come up with more questions over the course of this new school year and when I speak with the parents of my students I will be sure to bring this idea up. I hope that they can use questions like these to better find out what their kids are up to while in the classroom and how they are growing as individuals

and learners.