Working with students who need work on answering conversation based questions can be difficult. It can be challenging for students with more complex communication needs to answer more abstract questions. I have found that working on answering would you rather questions can be fun and functional with a learner at this language level. I like to show students 2 cards when I ask the question. So for this example below, I may hold up the cards and say “Would you rather feed a cat or a giraffe?”

The pictures serve as built in prompts to help the student answer the question. So, if your students know the labels for the items pictured, it may help them answer the question. Or if you are working with a student who uses an augmentative device, it may serve as a visual prompt for which button to select on their device.

Choosing which questions to work on with students and even if working on questions is appropriate and functional is an individual decision. For some students with more complex needs, personal safety questions like “what is your name?” or “what street do you live on?” may be more important. But for students who can label some items and attend to a visual stimulus when presented, would you rather questions may be a fun and functional activity.

I also like to write the questions on the board, so that when a student answers the question, they can ask the next student. This activity can be adjusted according to the needs of the students in your group.

I have created a freebie with over 15 examples including questions and pictures for you to use with your students. I hope your students enjoy this activity as much as mine have!