Encouraging Your Child with Hearing Loss to Open Up After School
- Camille Mihalik, speech-language pathologist
- Aug 26
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 29
Camille Mihalik, Director, Shelley and Steven Einhorn Communication Center
August 25, 2025 - Here's a new take on the timeless topic of "after-school conversation starters" by Camille Mihalik, speech-language pathologist.
The first day of school always comes with a flurry of excitement: lunches packed, outfits picked, hearing devices charged, first-day photos snapped. Then comes the big send-off—wave, smile, exhale.
Hoping for After-School Chats
Maybe your summer was filled with sunshine and special memories, but today you get a little breather. By mid-afternoon, though, you’re likely looking forward to that sweet reunion and eager to hear every detail about your child’s big day.
But reality sometimes looks more like this:
“How was school today?” “Good.”
“What did you do?” “Nothing.”
Cue the parental sigh.
Take Five (or Ten!)
First, consider whether your child might need a few moments to rest their mind and ears. Keep in mind that most children with hearing loss will experience some level of “listening fatigue” after a long day at school, particularly since they might not have worked their listening muscles so hard all summer.
So before you dive into conversation, maybe offer your child some quiet time, along with a snack. Let them know you’re eager to hear about their day and will check in after they’ve had time to settle in at home and relax.
Shaping Better Conversations
Everyone’s had a break to relax, but you’re feeling ready to chat. So how do you spark more than one-word answers? For starters, check out my earlier blog post It Takes a Village, which offers a list of conversation strategies and sample questions.
One quick tip: the more specific your question, the more specific the answer. Open-ended questions like “How was your day?” often fizzle, while focused prompts get kids talking.
It can also help to share a small detail from your own day first—this models the kind of answer you’re hoping for and gives your child a framework for organizing their response.
Conversation Prompts to Try
Here are some questions that tend to open the door to real conversation:
“What was the best/worst part of your day today? “
“I ate lunch at my desk today. Who sat with you at lunch?”
“What game did you play during free time?”
“Did you learn a new activity in gym?”
“I met someone new at work this morning. Did you meet any new classmates today?”
“I’m almost finished with my book. What did you read in class today?”
Sometimes it all feels too confrontational—like you’re quizzing your child. You can avoid that with a simple follow-up statement like, “Tell me more about that!”
Join the Conversation
What works for you? How do you get your child chatting about their day? Email us at info@chchearing.org to let us know—we’d love to hear from you!
Here’s to a school year full of learning, laughter, and lively conversations
About the Author
Camille Mihalik, MA, CCC-SLP, TSSLD, is Director of the Shelley and Steven Einhorn Communication Center at the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC). She has extensive experience as a speech-language pathologist extensive working individually and in groups with children who are deaf and hard of hearing. She is passionate in her approach to aural habilitation, which includes working collaboratively with parents and training them to promote development of their child’s speech, listening and language skills at home. Camille received her BA in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Hofstra University and her MA in Speech Language Pathology at New York University.
