Learn to Ask Questions: Question Practice Flashcards

30 real-life situations for learning to ask questions, with audio in 6 languages

Learn to Ask Questions helps children make the switch from answering questions to asking them. Each card shows an everyday situation, such as a child wanting to watch TV or to play with a friend, with an empty speech bubble showing who is speaking. Children work out what that person would say and put it into a question. The question, "May I watch some TV?", is on the back.

At a glance

• 30 jumbo cards, 14.5 × 10 cm
• Front: a real-life scene with an empty speech bubble showing who is speaking, and no text
• Back: the question, a QR code and writing lines, so children can practise writing or parents can write the question in their own language
• Key card included
• Covers everyday questions for asking permission, inviting, asking for things and finding out
• QR code on every card: hear the question
• Sturdy glossy laminated card with rounded corners
• Audio in 6 languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Punjabi
• Ages 4+
• Follows the developmental sequence of early language
• Chatterbugs app access code included
• Designed by speech and language professionals

Why asking is a separate skill

Many children can answer questions long before they can ask them. Asking means turning a thought into the right question form ("May I…?", "Do you…?", "Can I have…?") and choosing words that suit the situation and the person. It's how children ask for help, join in play, get what they need and find out about the world, so it matters for independence and friendships, not just language.

How the audio works

1. Go to chatterbugs.app and enter the code from your box.
2. Choose a language.
3. Scan the QR code on the back of a card to hear the question.

In the app you can slow the audio down, replay the question, and record your own voice as the model. Audio plays online, so you'll need an internet connection.

How to use the cards

1. Look at the scene. "Who is talking? What do they want?"
2. Ask for the question. "What would he say to his mum?"
3. Turn it over. Compare with the question on the back. Other polite questions count too.
4. Role play. Take turns being each person in the scene.
5. Use it for real. Encourage the same question at home: "May I have some milk?"

Who it's for

• Children who answer questions but rarely ask them
• Children who point, pull or wait instead of asking for what they need
• Children with speech or language delays, including children with autism
• Children learning English as an additional language, or a home language alongside English
• Parents, teachers and speech and language therapists

Where it fits

• Before: Who? People and Their Jobs, answering "who" questions
• Before: When? Time, Day and Season, answering "when" questions
• Use alongside: Why? Verbal Reasoning Part 3, answering "why" questions
• Use alongside: Action Words in Sentences, using verbs in full sentences
• Better value: Advanced Learners Smart Bundle, six decks including this one, for less than buying them separately

Who made it

Brainy Bug Resources decks are designed by speech and language professionals with extensive clinical experience in mainstream schools, special schools and community clinics. Each deck follows how children's language actually develops, from single words to two-word phrases, sentences and reasoning.

Frequently asked questions

What age is it for?

4 years and up.

Why is there no text on the front?

So children think of the question themselves, using the picture and the speech bubble as clues.

Is there only one right question?

The back gives one example, but any sensible, polite question counts.

What's on the back?

The question, a QR code and writing lines.

Which languages are included?

English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Punjabi.

Do I have to pay for the audio?

No. An access code comes with the deck.