Unlocking Communication at Home: Creative Ways to Teach ‘Why’ & 'Because'

One of our major challenges in parenting/teaching a child with a speech delay is teaching them how to understand and answer Why questions:

Why did you hit your brother? Are you ready to leave? Why?

As a mom who’s always researching, asking questions, and finding tools I can use in my homeschool, I’ve found a few fun strategies that are really working for us and hope that they can give you some inspiration! These suggestions can be modified to fit any theme or lesson you are working on in school too.

1. Picture Cards for Cause and Effect

One thing that’s been a hit with my son is using picture cards. Each card will show a simple scenario, like a child putting on a raincoat because it’s raining, and then I’ll ask, “Why is the child wearing a raincoat?” It’s a great way to help him connect the dots. He will answer, "it's raining!" and I can correct him by replying, "because it's raining, yeah!" The goal is to activate the cause & effect thought process and then connect it to the language "why?" and "because".

2. Interactive Story Time

When we’re reading a story, I will pause and ask “why” questions about the characters’ actions. For example, when reading "The Very Lonely Firefly" by Eric Carle I asked, “Why did the people get inside the car?” and "Why was the firefly lonely?" My kids will shout out answers, serving as a model for my child with the speech delay. I will then model the proper phrase, "It was lonely because _________."

3. Building “Why” Questions into Our Routine

I’ve found that everyday routines are perfect for practicing cause and effect, why and because. At lunchtime, I’ll ask, “Why are we washing our hands?” (Usually, the answer is a giggle and “To get the germs off!”) Or when we’re cleaning up, I’ll ask, “Why do we put our toys back?” It’s amazing how quickly he catches on!

4. Simple Science Experiments

One of our favorites is the classic sink-or-float experiment. I’ll ask, “Why does the rock sink?” and guide him to figure out that it’s because it’s heavy. I keep it simple, but my kids' love getting hands-on with water and it makes them feel like little scientists.

5. Pretend Play Scenarios

This strategy is my favorite for modelling all conversational language, not just why questions. I'll pull out some toys to create a pretend scene (we are currently learning about different things we do during the day and night, so I set up a little person lying in the bed, and on a count of 3 it's time to wake up! What should he do next?) I can sneak in some why questions and they’re so immersed in the play that it feels like just part of the fun.

6. Watching their favorite show

I know that screentime is usually Mommy get something else done time, but watching their favorite shows with you is a great opportunity to practice why questions. Try pausing the show and asking why a character did or said something. And yes, this counts as bonding time!

Incorporating Real-Life Experiences

The ultimate goal is for my son to be able to understand and answer these questions about his own life. I will start with more concrete why questions like, "Why are we leaving the park?" after emphatically expressing that it's getting cold or dark, or that you're hungry and ready for dinner. We will eventually work our way toward more abstract questions.

With a little practice, I hope these activities will help him become more comfortable with expressing his thoughts and feelings and give him the confidence to explore all the ‘whys’ of the world around him.