Maria Montessori designed the Practical Life curriculum to teach children concentration, independence, and a great love for work.She discovered that children have an innate need to imitate the activities of adults, as this is their way of learning about their role within society and their environment.
Try using one of these “lead ins” instead and see if you get a more informative response. What was the best/worst thing that happened at school today? Tell me something that made you laugh today.