Starting the day with a question of the day is a great way to engage your preschooler’s curiosity and encourage critical thinking skills. This guide will provide tips and ideas for implementing a daily question of the day in your preschooler’s routine.

What is a question of the day?

A question of the day is a fun and interactive way to start the day in a preschool classroom. Students will all answer the same simple question and then usually review the data together as a class.

The question can be related to a specific topic or theme, or it can be a general question to get your child thinking and talking. The question is usually displayed in a pocket chart and students will use their name to answer the question. 

Why is a question of the day important for preschoolers?

A question of the day is important for preschoolers because it helps to develop their critical thinking skills, encourages communication skills and language development, and promotes social-emotional learning.

Adding a question of the day to your classroom routine reinforces students’ understanding of concepts of print, name recognition, early reading skills, interpreting data, language skills and so much more! Students will quickly learn and love this simple routine each day.

Using a preschool question of the day creates a positive and inclusive classroom environment where every child’s voice is valued. It promotes a sense of belonging, as children realize that their thoughts and opinions matter. Through this simple daily practice, we foster a love for learning, empower children to express themselves and cultivate a lifelong curiosity that extends far beyond the preschool years.

Where should students answer a question of the day?

I recommend using a pocket chart for this routine in your classroom. The chart can be used for multiple things in the classroom and it’s an easy way to display the question and data.

Just be sure to place it in a place that is easily accessible to students and that can be seen during your morning meeting time. If you have a smart board or other technology in your classroom, it could also be used for this too.

How to choose the right questions for your class.

When choosing questions for your preschool class or child, it’s important to consider their age, interests, and developmental level. You can also tie questions into the curriculum or theme of the week to make them more relevant and engaging. Questions should also be simple and have visual supports to help beginning readers. 

Yes No Questions

Your preschool question of the day should be a simple yes or no question. Sticking with simple questions of the day will help young children learn the routine and read the answer choices. 

Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions can be great for fostering small-group or whole-group class discussions, but these types of questions don’t usually work well for a preschool question of the day.

Instead, focus on using yes-no questions for the question of the day then use open-ended questions to extend the discussion or as great conversation starters. For example, the question of the day might be: Do you have a sister? Students will vote yes or no to answer the question. Then during circle time or morning meetings, the discussion can include asking students about the family member or other fun questions on the topic. 

Open-ended questions also work better for journaling when each student has a different idea or opinion to share. You can read more in this post, Getting Started with Preschool Writing Journals. 

Tips for implementing the question of the day in the classroom.

Implementing a question of the day in the classroom can be a fun way to get to know your students and an educational way to start the day. Here are some tips for getting started:

Establish a routine and stick to it.

To make the question of the day successful in your classroom, it’s important to establish a routine and stick to it. If you want, you can actually start this routine on the first day of school. I think a large pocket chart is the best way to organize and display the question of the day. Students should know where to find the question, where to find their name card, and what is expected of them. 

Choose a consistent time each day to ask the question and allow time for discussion as a class. Encourage all children to participate and provide support for those who may struggle with answering the question or need help finding their name. 

Additionally, consider using visuals or props to make the question more engaging and accessible for all learners. 

Use printable cards for each question.

The beginning of the school day can be a busy time for teachers, so it can be very helpful to question of the day cards printed and ready to use each day. The best thing would be to have cards ready for the entire school year that you can easily grab and display each day. Question of the Day for Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten has over 200 different questions just for preschool students! 

Create name cards for each student. 

Students will need a way to answer the question each school day. You can just create a simple name tag card for each student. Or using the product,  Question of the Day for Preschool, Pre-K and Kindergarten; you can simply type student names and print answer cards. You can also laminate them to help them last the entire school year.

 Another quick tip is to add students’ pictures to each name card or print them on colored paper to help small children who are still learning how to recognize their names. 

Many preschool and kindergarten teachers like using a sign-in routine each school day so students can practice writing their names first thing.  This activity can still be done in addition to the question of the day. Simply give students index cards or post-it note and have them write their names each day to answer the question. 

Make it a graphing activity. 

Looking at the question of the day data is a fantastic way to incorporate math into your morning meeting! Looking at the question of the day can easily be a morning meeting graphing activity. Count how many kids voted yes and how many kids voted no. Write the number for each column. This is also a great opportunity to discuss the information using math vocabulary words such as more and less. 

Change questions regularly.

I think it works best if you change the question daily, however, it’s up to you! If you are incorporating this activity into your morning routine students will need a new question to answer each school day.  Funny questions like, ” Would you ever make your hair different colors?” can also keep students engaged and excited! 

Question of the Day Examples for Preschool

Here are some question-of-the-day examples that you could use in your preschool classroom. If you like these questions and would like to have them printed and ready to go, check out: Question of the Day for Preschool, Pre-K and Kindergarten.

Color Word Questions

​Here are some questions about colors:

• ​Are you wearing red today?
• Are you wearing green today?
• Are you wearing yellow today?
• Are you wearing purple today?
• Are you wearing gray today?
• Are you wearing black today?
• Are you wearing brown today?

Feeling Word Questions

​Here are some questions about feelings:

• Have you ever felt embarrassed?
• Have you ever felt sad?
• Have you ever felt happy?
• Do you feel sad today?
• Do you feel angry today?
• Do you feel excited today?

You can read more about social-emotional learning in this post, How to Promote Social-Emotional Learning Skills in the Classroom.

Alphabet Questions

In preschool, students are learning letter names and letter sounds. Your preschool question of the day is a great time to touch on these skills too! I recommend using these types of questions throughout the school year so students don’t get bored with them. It’s a great way to review too!

• Do you have the letter Aa in your name?
• Do you have the letter Ss in your name?
• Do you have the letter Bb in your name?
• Do you have the letter Vv in your name?
• Do you have the letter Ww in your name?

Birthday Questions

​Birthdays are important days for young children! At the beginning of each month, these questions can be used to see who has a birthday that month! It could also be helpful to have a birthday chart accessible in the classroom for students.

• Is your birthday in February?
• Is your birthday in December?
• Is your birthday in May?
• Is your birthday in October?

Fall Themed Questions

The change of seasons and holidays are exciting for young children. Asking questions about things that are happening in their world is important. Here are a few fall-themed questions:

• Do you like football?
• ​Have you been trick or treating?
• ​Do you like red apples?
• Have you ever tried apple butter?
• Have you seen a red leaf?
• ​Do you celebrate Halloween?
• Do you like to eat turkey?

Winter Themed Questions

These questions work well in the winter months!

• ​Have you ever built a snowman?
• Can you wrap a gift? 
• ​Do you like winter?
• ​Do you like candy canes?
• Will the groundhog see his shadow? 
• Do you like candy hearts?

Spring Themed Questions

These spring-themed questions will tie into the spring preschool themes you already have planned!

• Have you ever seen a turtle?
• Do you have a garden?
• Have you ever seen a four-leaf clover?
• Do you like to play outside?
• Have you ever seen a rainbow?
• Do you have chickens?

Summer Themed Questions

As the school year comes to an end, summer is on everyone’s mind! These summer-themed questions will keep students engaged until the end of the year.

• Do you like watermelon?
• Have you ever been to the beach?
• Do you like ketchup?
• Do you like lemonade?
• Would you touch a crab?
• Do you like swimming?

Any Time of Year Questions

These questions can be used at any point in the school year! 

• Do you like pizza?
• Have you ever been to the zoo?
• Do you like to play games? 
• Can you ride a bicycle?
• Do you like to eat fruits? 
• Do you like to eat vegetables?

Question of the Day at Home

If you are a parent, you can also implement a question of the day at home with your preschooler. Since these questions are meant to foster family discussions, it’s best that they are open-ended. Car rides to and from school or the dinner table are a great time to enjoy answering these questions with your child.

• If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be? 
• What is your favorite subject to read or learn about?
• Do you have a favorite family tradition?
• If you could be any type of animal what would you be?
• What is your favorite color?
• What is your favorite thing to do in the summer?
• What is your favorite holiday and why?
•  What was the best part of your day?
• What is your favorite book?
• What is your favorite place to visit?

More Preschool Activities:

5 Preschool First Day Activities to Set Your Year up for Success

Preschool Math Journals

Preschool Question of the Day: Final Thoughts

In conclusion, having a preschool question of the day is a powerful tool that enhances engagement, promotes critical thinking, and fosters a sense of community within the preschool classroom. Even kindergarten students and older kids can benefit from this practice! By incorporating daily questions, you can create an environment where children feel valued, establish age-appropriate classroom routines, and promote early learning.