Second through fifth grade students working on starting conversations, asking follow-up questions and staying on topic, including students who talk at length about one favorite subject.

Yes. The wheel plays free in the browser with no login.

Why does the wheel not record correct answers?

Where it lands is chance, not a response from the student. The skill is the conversation afterward, which only the adult in the room can judge.

Conversation Starter Wheel

Spin for one of eight conversation topics, then start and keep a conversation going. Practice only, never scored.

Add to a session

Game

Spin to pick a word

Demo — these marks stay on this screen.Sign in to save this to a student →

How to run it

Spin, then have the student start with a question rather than a statement: if it lands on pets, do you have a pet? Answer briefly and wait, so they have to ask a follow-up. Aim for three or four turns on one topic before spinning again. The wheel records nothing and never scores, so track turns and follow-up questions yourself if they are part of a goal.

Cueing ladder

Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.

Step 1IndependentSet up the situation and wait for the student to respond on their own.Log as correct
Step 2Nonverbal cueUse a look, a gesture or a point to the visual cue card.Log as cued
Step 3Indirect promptAsk 'What could you say now?' or 'How do you think they feel?'Log as cued
Step 4ModelShow what to say or do, then run the moment again so the student can try it.Log as cued

Adjust it

Easier

Give a script or two choices of what to say, and practise with you before a peer.

Harder

Role-play with a new partner, or add a twist the student has not planned for.

Matching IEP goal

In structured role-plays, Student will use the target conversation skill appropriately in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a nonverbal cue.

Send it home through the parent portal →

About this activity

A wheel of eight conversation topics: pets, weekends, food, vacations, games, movies, jobs and holidays. The student spins, then has to open a conversation on whatever it lands on, ask a follow-up question, and keep the topic going for a few turns. The spin takes away the choice of topic, which is often where a student stalls before they have said anything.

What to listen for

Count the turns a student can keep on a topic before switching to their own interest. Notice whether they ask anything back or only answer. Listen for whether a follow-up is connected, such as asking which food you like best after you said pizza, or is a new question unrelated to what you just said. Weekends and vacations need a short story told in order, which makes them the hardest topics on the wheel.

Carrying it home

Write the eight topics on slips of paper and pull one out at dinner. Everyone takes a turn starting the talk. The rule is one question back before changing topic. Keep it light and short, two or three topics a meal, and let the child pick the next slip if they asked a good follow-up.

What's in this activity

pets
weekends
food
vacations
games
movies
jobs
holidays

Questions

Who is this for?: Second through fifth grade students working on starting conversations, asking follow-up questions and staying on topic, including students who talk at length about one favorite subject.
Is it free?: Yes. The wheel plays free in the browser with no login.
Why does the wheel not record correct answers?: Where it lands is chance, not a response from the student. The skill is the conversation afterward, which only the adult in the room can judge.