WH- Questions
The fluffy white cat napped on the sunny windowsill. She purred loudly whenever the sun hit her fur.
Who napped on the sunny windowsill?
The fluffy white cat.
Leo saw the large, brightly wrapped box sitting on the kitchen table with his name on it. He let out a gasp and started jumping up and down with a huge smile on his face.
How is Leo feeling when he sees the box?
Excited (or happy).
The teacher gives instructions to start a math worksheet, but Julia realizes she does not have a pencil or paper ready.
What self-advocacy phrase can Julia use to get the materials she needs?
I need help getting a pencil and paper.
Julia is playing a board game with a classmate who is leaning in very close to her side of the board, making Julia feel crowded and uncomfortable.
What can Julia say to express her need for personal space and offer a simple alternative?
That’s too close; can you move over a little?
Zennaiya is sharing a weekend story with her therapy group. When she finishes her sentence, she notices her friend is tilting her head, squinting her eyes, and looking completely confused.
How does Zennaiya know her friend didn't understand her, and what clear speech strategy can she use to fix it?
She sees her friend's confused facial expression, so she can repeat what she said.
Before leaving for the water park, Marcus packed his favorite blue swimsuit. He made sure to grab his sunscreen right after.
What did Marcus pack before leaving for the water park?
His favorite blue swimsuit.
Sarah kept looking up at the clock on the wall while shoving her books into her backpack as fast as she could. She heard a loud squeak of brakes outside and ran toward the front door.
Why is Sarah rushing to pack her backpack?
She is trying to catch the school bus before it leaves.
During a science project, the teacher explains three steps very quickly. Julia loses track of what to do after the very first step.
What self-advocacy phrase can Julia use to understand the rest of the steps?
Wait, I’m confused. I need to hear the directions again.
During recess, Julia’s friends always choose to play kickball on the blacktop, but Julia is tired of running and wants to do a quieter activity like coloring on the ground.
What can Julia say to express her interest and suggest an alternative activity?
We play kickball a lot—maybe we could draw with chalk instead.
Zennaiya tells a peer about her favorite video game, talking very fast. The peer looks at her blankly and says, "Wait, what did you just say?"
How does Zennaiya know there was a breakdown, and what clear speech strategy should she use?
The peer made a verbal request for clarification, so Zennaiya can slow down her speech to say it again.
A giant oak tree stands in the center of the quiet park. Bright red birds built a tiny nest high up in its thick branches.
Where did the bright red birds build their tiny nest?
High up in the thick branches of the giant oak tree.
Ben stared down at his dropped ice cream scoop melting on the hot sidewalk. He walked away slowly with his head hanging down, dragging his feet.
How is Ben feeling after dropping his ice cream?
Sad (or disappointed).
Julia sits down to write a story about her weekend, but she stares at the blank page for five minutes because she doesn't know how to write the opening sentence.
What self-advocacy phrase can Julia use to get her writing moving?
I need help starting the first part.
Julia and her science partner are building a tower out of plastic cups, and Julia thinks of a new way to stack the base so the tower won't tip over.
What can Julia say to share her thoughts and explain her new strategy to her partner?
I have an idea. We can put the biggest cups at the bottom so it stays up.
Information: Zennaiya is trying to explain where she lost her jacket at recess, but she is speaking quietly and using a lot of muddled words. Her teacher frowns slightly and asks, "Can you say that one more time?"
How does Zennaiya know her teacher is confused, and what clear speech strategy can she add to help explain?
Her teacher asked her to repeat it, so Zennaiya can use gestures or point toward the playground while she speaks.
The heavy rain flooded the outdoor soccer field this morning. Because of the big puddles, the coach had to cancel our afternoon practice.
Why did the coach have to cancel afternoon practice?
Because the heavy rain flooded the field and left big puddles.
Right after the loud crash in the living room, Toby quickly pushed his baseball glove under the couch. When his mom walked in and asked what happened, Toby looked down at his shoes and stayed completely quiet.
Why is Toby hiding his glove and staying quiet?
He is worried he will get in trouble for breaking something.
When Julia walks into the classroom, she notices the daily routine chart on the board shows art class first instead of reading, which makes her feel unsettled.
What self-advocacy phrase can Julia use to understand this adjustment?
Why did the schedule change?
Julia is working at a small desk with a peer on a poster project, but their large poster board and markers are spilling over, leaving Julia with no room to move her arms.
What can Julia say to express her physical need and suggest a simple adjustment?
I need more space; can we move the marker box to the middle?
During a structured group activity, Zennaiya explains the rules of a card game. As she speaks, two of her group members scratch their heads and look around the room with blank stares.
What clue tells Zennaiya that her listeners are lost, and how can she repair the conversation?
She notices their confused facial expressions and body language, so she can slow down and repeat the rules step-by-step.
Maya woke up early so she could see the beautiful sunrise. As soon as the clock struck 5:30 AM, she looked out her bedroom window.
When did Maya look out her bedroom window?
At 5:30 AM.
Before walking onto the stage to speak, Chloe's hands started shaking and her stomach felt like it was doing backflips. She took three deep breaths to try to calm her racing heart.
How is Chloe feeling before she goes onto the stage?
Nervous (or anxious/scared).
The class is playing a new learning game on their tablets. The teacher tells everyone to log in, but Julia's screen is stuck on a spinning wheel and won't load the page.
What self-advocacy phrase can Julia use to explain her specific technology problem?
I need help because my tablet screen is stuck and won't load.
A group of peers invites Julia to play a card game, but the game has rules that make Julia feel frustrated and left out. She wants to play a different game that everyone knows.
What can Julia say to express her feelings and propose a better option for the group?
I feel frustrated playing this game—maybe we could play Uno instead.
Zennaiya tells a story about a big dog she saw over the weekend. A group member stops her mid-sentence and says, "I didn't catch that last part."
How does Zennaiya identify the breakdown, and what combination of clear speech strategies can she use to repair it?
The listener verbally interrupted to say they didn't catch it, so Zennaiya can slow down and use a gesture to show how big the dog was while repeating the sentence.