Examples of questions at Blank Level 4 – Problem solving
What are Blank Levels?
Your child is learning to problem solve and answer ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions. Below are examples of questions at this level. Try to match your questions to what your child is doing.
Literacy or English literature
- Inference means ‘How can we tell…?’ questions, such as ‘How can we tell that this character is feeling happy?’ and ‘How can we tell this person has committed a crime?’. Your young person may need support in identifying critical information in order for an inference to be made.
- Justify a prediction made at Level 3 such as ‘Why do you think that X will happen?’
- Justify the action of a character such as ‘Why did a character behave in this way?’
- Solve a problem. ‘If X happens, what should our character do?’ such as ‘If the dog does not come home before bedtime, what should the boy do?’. Apply the situation to the young person’s own personal experience.
- Define compound words.
Maths
- Inference. Give reasons and evidence why this particular item fits a given set of criteria such as ‘How can we tell this is an X?’
- Justify why something was done
- Solve a problem which needs reasoning skills and not just the working out, such as mathematical application
Science
- Justify a prediction made at Level 3 such as ‘Why will X happen?’ and what is the evidence?
- Present a solution to a possible problem such as ‘The soil is really dry, what should we do?’ Or what could be done if the evidence is unsuccessful or does not bring the expected result?
- Justify why a certain course of action has been taken such as ‘Why did we use equipment X rather than equipment Y?’
- Make a judgement such as ‘How do you know X happened?, ‘How do you know that a chemical reaction has taken place, that no further reaction will take place?’
Technology
- Present a solution to a possible problem, perhaps a difficulty in construction, or how could X be improved?
- Justify why a certain course of action has been taken, such as ‘Why should we join these materials with X rather than Y?’
Geography
- Justify the prediction made at Level 3 such as ‘Why do you think that X will happen?’ and what is the evidence?
- Present a solution to a possible problem such as ‘What could they do to stop the flooding?’, what could they do to prevent the problems caused by deforestation, or water pollution.
- Justify why a certain course of action has been taken or is best, such as ‘Why is it a good idea not to build houses on the flat areas by the river?’
- Make a judgement. How does your young person know something such as ‘How do you know that this house on the map is on a hill?’, ‘ How do you find the age of rock formation, climate of a region, prosperity of a region’
History
- Inference, such as ‘How can we tell that this miner has done a hard day of work?’, ‘ What does this cartoon tell you about the attitudes to X?’, ‘How far does the photo support Y statement?’. Again, your young person may need support in identifying the critical information in order for an inference to be made.
- Justify the prediction made at Level 3, such as ‘Why do you think that X just happened?’
- Justify the action of historical figures or populations such as ‘What did X do to Y?’
- Solve a problem such as ‘If X happened, what do you think Y did?’. If possible, apply the situation to your young person’s own personal experience.
Home corner
- What do we need to make a cake?
- Why cannot we cook the cake in the washing machine?
- Teddy feels ill. Why do you think teddy feels ill?
- What do we do to make teddy feel better?
Water play
- Why can’t a fish live out of water?
- Why did the bucket sink?
- Baby duck is lost, what could he do? What would you do?
- What else could you use to catch a fish? objects not in sight)
Snack time
- Why do we wash our hands before we eat a snack?
- Why is the milk cold?
- What made the butter melt on your toast?
- Why can’t we eat the banana without peeling it?
Farm
- The farmer’s tractor will not work. What should he do?
- How can the farmer get to the shops now?
- The fence has fallen down. What do you think made the fence fall down?
- Why might the horses run away?
Outside play
- Why will the bike break if I ride it?
- Why can’t we play outside when it is raining?
- What makes the car move?
- What should we do to keep safe on the bike?
Playdough
- Why can’t we roll out the playdough with the cutter?
- What could you do if you did not have a rolling pin?
- What made the playdough go flat?
- Why is it called playdough?
Sandpit
- What made the sandcastle fall down?
- What can we do to stop the sandcastle falling down next time?
- The crab is stuck in the sand. What can he do?
- What other things might you find at the seaside? (objects out of sight)
Story
- Why did X do that?
- What could she do?
- What would you do?
- How do you know Y?
Dolls house
- How can we tell this is the kitchen?
- Why will the boy get into trouble?
- Mum has burnt her hand cooking. What should she do?
- Why can’t we sleep in the bath?
Car mat and garage
- Why will the cars crash?
- What could the silver car do to avoid a crash?
- Oh dear! The cars have crashed. What should we do?
- Why should we wear seatbelts when in a car?
For more information please contact the Speech and Language Therapy Service at Flockton House.
Telephone: 0114 226 2333
Email: scn-tr.slt-sheffield@nhs.net
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Disclaimer
Please note: this is a generic information sheet relating to care at Sheffield Children’s NHS FT. These details may not reflect treatment at other hospitals. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professionals’ instructions. If this resource relates to medicines, please read it alongside the medicine manufacturer’s patient information leaflet. If this information has been translated into another language from English, efforts have been made to maintain accuracy, but there may still be some translation errors. If you are unsure about any of the guidance in this resource or have specific questions about how it relates to your child, always ask your healthcare professional for further advice.