Module 4: Example Interviewing Questions

• What excites your child?  
• What accomplishments is your child most proud of? 
• Tell me about a typical day for you and your family. 
• Who are the members of your family? Who are the people in your child’s life?  
• What is meaningful to your child and your family? 
• What hopes and dreams do you have for your child’s future? 

Print Starter Questions (PDF)

• What is going well in school?  
• What does your child like about math/reading/writing?  
• What does your child like about other subjects, such as science, social studies, or electives?  
• Are there times during which your child enjoys math/reading/writing? What is happening during those times?  
• What motivates your child to complete schoolwork?  
• Does your child prefer to work by themselves or in a group?  
• Does your child prefer written work, presentations, or multiple choice questions?  
• Who helps your child with schoolwork at home?  
• How does your child approach solving new problems?  
• How does your child approach working with other students their age?  
• Can you talk about a new skill your child recently learned?  
• What strategies do you find most helpful in helping your child succeed in and out of school? 
• What are your child’s interests and hobbies? 
• What learning methods are particularly helpful for your child (for example, a visual aid, repeating instructions, rewards)?  
• What do you hope your child will gain from their education in school?  
• What resources do you think may benefit your child?  
• How does your child cope with difficult situations?  
• What gets your child’s attention?  
• What would you like the adults at the school to know about your child? 
• What topics does your child show an interest in at school or outside of school? 
• What are some of your favorite traits or characteristics of your child? 
• Who does your child look up to? 

Print Strengths-Based Question (PDF)

• What do you like to do together as a family? 
• What do you do together as a family every day?  
• How do you define your family culture(s)?  
• What are some of your family traditions? 
• What are your child’s responsibilities in your family (e.g., chores)? 
• What are your strengths as a family? 
• What have family member’s experiences with education systems in the United States been like? 
• How is formal education viewed in your culture?  
• Tell me about your own experiences with education as a child? 
• How do you prefer to communicate with school about educational needs/concerns? 
• How do you prefer to communicate with school about behavioral needs/concerns?  
• How does your family’s racial/ethnic background, religion, or other identities affect your child’s experience at school?  
• Is your family involved with community organizations (religious or cultural organizations, advocacy groups, etc.)?  
• In what ways has school supported your family and honored your culture? 
• Are there important cultural aspects of well-being that we should know about your child and family?  
• Sometimes people participate in several traditions. Are there any other spiritual, religious or moral traditions that you identify with or take part in that you would like us to know about?   
• What activities related to [tradition] do you carry out in the home, for example meditation or special dietary laws? How often do you carry out these activities? How important are these activities in your life? 
• What activities do you engage in outside the home related to [tradition], for example, attending ceremonies or participating in a church/temple/mosque? How often do you attend? How important are these activities in your life?  
• Are there any important celebrations or events in your community to recognize reaching a certain age or growing up?  
• When is a young person considered ready to become an adult in your family or community?  
• What was the process of naming your child? Who chose the name? Does it have a special meaning? 
• What similarities and differences have you noticed between your country of origin and this one? Or between your ethnic community and the school community? 
  • Education 
  • Greetings 
  • Making friends 
• What should someone outside of your culture know about 
  • Child-adult relationships? (e.g., expression of respect, eye contact, physical contact)  
  • Gender relationships? (expectations around appropriate girl-boy behavior, dress code)  

Print Family and Culture Questions (PDF)

• What language(s) does your child use to communicate at home? 
• Which language(s) did your child first learn to speak? 
• What language does each family member generally use when communicating with your child?  
• What language does the child generally use to communicate with each family member?  
• What language does your child speak to  
  • Mother? 
  • Father? 
  • Siblings? 
  • Grandparents? 
  • Friends? 
  • Others? 
• Which language does your child speak when playing by him/herself? 
• Which language does your child prefer when watching television? 
• Which language does your child prefer when listening to music? 
• Which language do other people in your household speak to your child? 
• Which language is most of the print/digital materials (books, magazines, newspapers) in your home? 
• Is/Was your child read to at home? In which language? 
• What languages does your child appear the most confident speaking and/or writing, and understanding and/or reading?  
• Has your child received education in other languages than English? 
• Has your child expressed a general preference for a particular language? 
• Has your child expressed concern or frustration around language learning or use? 
• Is there anyone in the family your child cannot communicate with due to language barriers? 
• How do you communicate with your child? How does your child communicate with you? (verbally, sign language, gestures, pictures, assistive technology, etc.) 
• How well do you believe your child understands spoken or written information in the home language? 
• How well can your child express their needs, ideas, and wants in your home language, as compared to their siblings or other children of the same age in your community? 
• How has your child described their experiences with language in school? 
• How has your child described their experiences with language learning classes or supports in school? 
• Has the family accessed any language learning resources in the community? 

Print Language Questions (PDF)

• When did the family move to the United States? 
• What was the transition like for your child? Emotionally? Socially? Academically?  
• Did all family members move to the US together? 
• Was any time spent in a displaced location such as a refugee camp? What was that experience like? 
• Did your child attend school in another country? Describe their educational experience. 
• Was there any interruption to the student’s schooling? 
• Was your child enrolled in any special programming in another country? (i.e. early intervention, special education, gifted, received special programming, etc?)  
• What do you notice about the differences between the school system here and the school system in your home country? 
• What successes and challenges has your child experienced in adapting to this school?  
• What differences have you noticed about your child’s education here as opposed to their prior school experiences?  
• Does your child have family members in another country? Describe how family composition may have changed since acculturation in the US. 
• What differences have you noticed about life in the United States vs. your home country? 

Print Acculturating/Immigration Questions (PDF)

• Broadly, how do you think about your child’s development?  
• What were some of your child’s special milestones as he/she/they grew up? 
• Do you have any family stories about important milestones or development experiences of your child? (e.g. first words, anecdotes about milestones) 
• If you have other children/young family members, were there any notable differences in your child’s development compared to others? 
• What was your child’s development like before formal schooling?  
• Have you noticed any differences between what teachers might expect your child to do and what is expected at home?  
• At home, what are some behaviors that may be different from other children? (e.g., age for staying home alone, participation in chores, religious observance, play) 
• Are your child’s friends about their age, older, or younger?  
• Can you provide an example of your child learning a new skill before school? 
• Can you provide an example of your child learning a new skill recently? 
• What types of activities or toys did your child prefer at a young age?  
• What types of activities or toys does your child prefer now? 
• How did your child express their emotions at an early age? 
• How does your child express their emotions currently? 

Print Developmental History Questions (PDF)

• What community resources or institutions does your family participate in/utilize? (e.g. churches, community centers, etc.) 
• What are important places in the community for your child and/or family? 
• What resources in the community have been important or supportive to the family? 
• What resources in the community have not been supportive to the family? 
• What community resources might be helpful? 
• Where in the community do you/your family feel like you belong? 
• Are you involved in any cultural community groups? 
• What made you choose to enroll in [your particular school]?  
• What has your experience been with the school? 
• Has the school met your expectations? In what ways has it/hasn’t it? 

Print Community Related Questions (PDF)

• What concerns, if any, do you have for your child? (Academically, behaviorally, social-emotionally, other) 
• How would you describe these concerns? 
• Sometimes people have different ways of describing challenges to their family, friends, or others in their community. How would you describe the challenge to them?  
• How does this challenge impact your child? When and where does it impact your child? 
• How significant is the impact on the child’s life? On your family? 
• What troubles you most about the problem? 
• Are there any kinds of support that help to eliminate or reduce the impact of the challenge?  
• Are there any kinds of stresses or circumstances that make the challenge worse? 
• What do you hope could change to help your child? 
• What do you envision for your child if this barrier/challenge was improved? What would be different at school? At home? 
• What do you believe your child needs to be successful? 
• How do you know or what might tell you when your child is having trouble?  
• Are there any resources you have used/tried to use to support your child? 
• What support or resources, if any, have you used in the community? (e.g. tutoring, previous evaluation, doctors, etc.) 
• What have you been told about how to support your child’s education at home? 
• What have you been told about how the school addresses learning challenges for students?  

Print Understanding Concerns Questions (PDF)

• Tell me more.. 
• Tell me more about… 
• How did you/your child feel when… 
• Can you tell me about a time when… 
• Could you give me an example of when… 
• What else should I know about your child? Your family? 
• What can you tell me about your student that you think I should know?  
• What haven’t I asked that might be helpful to know? 

Print Follow Up Prompts (PDF)

• You said __ . What does your child do when they __? 
• What's another word for ____? 
• Can you give me an example of ___? 
• If someone didn't understand the word ___, how would you describe it to them in a different way? 

Print Language Clarification Questions (PDF)