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Asking for Water

Three words change the answer

Play this lessonNarrated out loud. No account, works offline.

Also available in Spanish. The app stops after two lessons a day and suggests something to do away from the screen.

What it teaches

These are the lines the lesson comes back to, and the ones a child actually remembers afterwards.

Ask. Don't order.

Thank you is worth more than please.

How it starts

This is a short one. You are thirsty. What you say next decides how quickly you get a drink, and how the person feels about giving it to you.

How the lesson goes

The shape of asking

  1. Can I — or May I
  2. Please, in the middle
  3. Thank you, after

The question at the end

You want a snack. Which one is asking?

For the grown-up

Every lesson ends by handing the child something to do off the screen, and telling you what was taught so you can use the same words.

Try this today: Go and ask a grown-up for a drink of water, out loud, with please. Then say thank you.

Then: Ask them if it sounded different from how you usually ask.

More in At Home

The whole library is free

Twenty-four narrated lessons for ages 4 to 9, in English and Spanish. No account, no sign-up, no ads, and nothing your child does in the app ever leaves the device — you can check that yourself with the network tab open. Open the lessons.