One big challenge for many hyperlexic kids is answering WH questions. They can often struggle to answer even the simplest of questions like "Who are you?"
But WH question words are vague and abstract. Like what does the word "why" even mean? You can't really visualize it like you can the words "cat" or "chair."
However, we can make WH question words more concrete by simply rewording them. And we can make things even easier by offering only one type of WH question instead of five of them.
And that's where this free printable rewording WH questions poster comes in handy. It offers simple substitutions for who, what, where, when, and why by rewording them into a new format.
About the Rewording WH Questions Poster
Based on the What Interrogatives Method (WIM) discussed here, this poster is designed to help hyperlexic kids understand how different WH questions can be reworded as "what + concrete category" type of phrases as a way to reduce complexity and confusion.
The poster includes the following swaps or substitutions:
- Who → What person
- What → What happened
- Where → What place
- When → What time
- Why → What reason
As mentioned here, these simple swaps can help clarify what to look for within a text or story. After all, the target category (e.g., a place) is much more concrete than the concept of "where." Plus, rewording WH questions in this way helps to explain the rules of what information those WH question words are asking for (e.g., "where" means a place).
It's important to keep in mind that, "While it is necessary to teach children to answer the different wh- questions, it is tedious for [hyperlexic children] to answer them. It becomes a mental burden to decode them and then understand what each wh- question requires for an answer" (Chia, 2002).
So part of the reason this rewording strategy works well for hyperlexic readers is because "the hyperlexic child only needs to know the what to answer all the other wh- questions" (Chia, 2002). In other words, it makes things easier to understand because they only need to know one type of WH question (i.e., what) instead of trying to understand all of the different WH questions at once.
How to Use this Printable Poster
Simply print and laminate this poster and keep it handy as a reference sheet during comprehension related activities. You could also hang it up in your hyperlexic child's homework or study area at home or, if you're a teacher or therapist, hang it up on a classroom or clinic room wall.
I recommend pairing this printable poster with these free SIM matrix graphic organizers while implementing the Scaffolding Interrogatives Method (SIM).
Download the Free Printable Rewording WH Questions Poster
