A child is talking to a youth worker while he waits for his mother to get a place to stay. “We’ve lived in 16 places,” he announces, “and I’m only 7.” The worker says, “What school did you go to last?” What open question would you have asked to help the child talk about what all this moving has been like for him? 

Above are some vignettes in which the worker asks closed questions. Write an open question you think might work better in each situation, and be prepared to tell why you think the closed question is not useful.