Surveys for the Win! Building Investigation and Language Skills  

When young children are interested in a topic they naturally engage in wonder and exploration, but many young children do not yet have the language to express their questions, ideas, or learning.  As experienced teachers of young children with varied language abilities, we loved project work and the creative flexibility to use investigation tools like surveys to inspire, provoke, and demonstrate language development.  

Introducing Surveys

A survey is a simple research method to collect information or data from others using a familiar question and answer routine.  In a survey, the researcher gives the interviewee two or more options to choose from to answer a targeted question regarding the topic.  The survey was one of the first and most common graphic organizers we taught young children to use in the investigation process. The survey process always quickly became a popular and motivating inquiry experience. 

Of course, we did not just hand clipboards to three- and four-year-olds and start conducting serious surveys. To introduce classes to the survey process, we would work data collection into daily routines opportunities for input and decision-making. For example, we used T-charts, sign-in activities, and other graphic organizers to help familiarize them with their use and value. For example, we often started each day with a “question of the day” using a large T-chart in a group activity to start a conversation about a topic or the day’s plan.  We also used T-charts for helping children make activity choices and participate in simple voting of yes/no questions (e.g., “Did you wear a hat today?; “Should we play inside or outside today?”; “Which do you prefer,mittens or gloves?”). 

The T-chart is created with a question at the top of the paper and a line dividing the paper into two sides offering two spaces to indicate a choice, usually using a tally mark.  Children would get familiar with this chart during daily class use and easily adapt to survey work.  To teach children to conduct individual surveys, we would put T-charts on clipboards or draw on white boards and model the question-asking process with teachers and peers in the classroom, and then demonstrate how to mark responses with tally marks.  Children quickly caught on to the routine, and were eager to participate in the important Q & A. We would even see children creating their own T-charts and conducting impromptu surveys.  

Surveys in Project Work

In the early phases of a project, we would consider: our group dynamics, individual child needs or individual education plan (IEP) goals, and specific skills that we could develop through project work. Some common language development needs were initiating and participating in conversations, asking and answering questions, and listening skills. These may not always be easy skills for some young investigators, but all are further developed through survey work! 

Next, we would consider the project topic and possible information that the children could learn or understand more deeply through survey inquiry.  We would plan when and where they could be included throughout Phase 2 of the investigation process. Was there information children could gather from their families?  Was there information they could collect in the school building, from staff, teachers, students, or observation? Were there experts on the topic that we could bring in for an interview?  For example, in a project on pipes and plumbing, our classes conducted surveys at home about the types of plumbing found in their homes.  In a project about dogs, children surveyed peers around the school about pet preferences such as big or small dogs and long or short hair dogs. 

Supporting Language Skills with Surveys

As we implemented survey work in a project, we tried to adapt and accommodate the varied abilities in our groups.  Some non-speaking children were taught to point to the question and options on the page or show the picture cues to others.  For many children, it was helpful to pair peers together in teams partnering a student with limited language skills with one who had stronger speaking skills.  One would hold the clipboard and mark the tally, and the other would ask the question.  This teamwork was effective for varied abilities in social skills, fine motor skills, and executive skills.   

Visual cues were also important in survey work to support all levels of language learning.  Questions were always paired with picture cues even if they were just rough teacher sketches.  Home surveys were made in rebus form to allow students to “read” the questions with family members.  Speech-language therapists were a great resource and support in our efforts to facilitate survey work in the classroom. Through time and multiple experiences, all children were given opportunities and quickly learned how to ask questions, record data, and interpret their results. 

In our practice, we felt it was important for students to review and/or report on the data they collected through survey work, giving yet another language development opportunity.  For example, we would gather as a large group and allow students to share their findings with each other.  It became a special part of our project process to make sure all children had a voice in the work and felt they had contributed to the eventual learning about the topic.  Even our students with limited speaking skills were proud to show and share their “important work” with their friends by showing their written surveys to peers.  

Finally, surveys became part of our documentation of the Project Approach work on a topic.  We collected home and classroom surveys in project binders for children to review and reference.  We posted survey data throughout the room to share investigations in progress.  Posting pictures of our children conducting survey work also allowed children to recall and discuss their survey work with classroom visitors in celebration of their investigation. 

In our view, there is no more powerful activity for helping children feel important, smart, and capable than surveys.  Survey work is engaging and empowering and supports so many areas of learning and development, most critically in language.