Explain It to Me Like I’m in Kindergarten
- Catherine Addor
- Oct 3
- 3 min read
Fundamental Friday:
"Explain It to Me Like I’m in Kindergarten" Isn’t a Step Back, It’s the First Step Forward
The first time a student said to me, "Can you explain it like I’m in kindergarten?" I paused.
Not because I was offended, but because it reminded me of something I often forget in a busy classroom: Sometimes the bravest thing a learner can do is ask to go back to the beginning.
Reframing the Request
In a classroom setting, it's easy to assume that the request for something to be “simplified” means someone isn’t trying hard enough or isn’t paying attention.
What if we reframed it? What if “Can you explain it like I’m in kindergarten?” was actually a signal of engagement, not confusion? It’s not a rejection of complexity. It’s a request for clarity.
It means:
“I want to understand this deeply.”
“Help me connect the dots from what I already know.”
“Let’s slow down so I can speed up later.”
This isn’t about talking down to students. It’s about lifting them up from wherever they are.
Learning Is a Ladder, Not a Leap
Ever watch a kindergartner learn something new?
They touch it.
Ask questions about it.
Try it. Break it. Try again.
They don’t leap to the finish line; they climb to it. As teachers, that’s our job: build the ladder.
In the classroom, this means:
Activating prior knowledge before introducing something new.
Layering information step-by-step instead of all at once.
Revisiting the basics even if we’ve “already covered” them.
For many students, the first rung of the ladder isn’t missing; it’s just invisible.
Try This:
Before introducing a new topic:
Ask: What do we already know that might relate to this?
Use metaphors: “Think of this like…”
Invite students to build their own steps: “If we were to teach this to a younger grade, how would we do it?”
Embracing the Kindergarten Mindset
In kindergarten, questions are endless.
Why is the sky blue?
What happens if I put this in water?
Can I do it myself?
That’s deep curiosity, not a lack of understanding. What if we encouraged that same mindset in middle school? High school? Even college?
What if we normalized asking:
Can we slow this down?
Can we connect it to something I already know?
Can we build this from the ground up together?
What if in your next lesson, you created a “Kindergarten Moment”:
Ask students: “If you had to explain this to a 5-year-old, how would you do it?”
Or flip it: “Let’s imagine we’re all in kindergarten again; what’s the very first thing we need to understand before this makes sense?”
You might be surprised at how rich those conversations become.
It’s About Building It Up
We sometimes confuse complex language with deep thinking. Often, the opposite is true.
If you can’t explain it simply, you might not understand it deeply enough.
This is true for students.
It’s true for teachers.
It’s true for all of us.
When a student says, “Explain it to me like I’m in kindergarten,” they’re really saying:
I want to learn this well, not just quickly.
I want to understand the “why” behind the “what.”
I’m ready to do the work; help me find the first step.
The Courage to Ask for the Basics
Admitting you don’t understand something can feel risky in a classroom. We can change that.
We can celebrate when students ask:
Can you break that down?
Can you start from the beginning?
Can you help me connect this to what I know?
That’s not laziness. That’s learning.
As educators, when we respond with patience, clarity, and care, we build something stronger than just understanding.
We build confidence.
We build curiosity.
We build learners who aren’t afraid to ask for help.
Think about your classroom this week:
Did a student hesitate to ask a question they were probably wondering about?
Did a lesson move too fast before the foundation was laid?
Did you assume prior knowledge that wasn’t actually there?
Take just one lesson and ask yourself,
“How would I explain this to someone in kindergarten, not to oversimplify, but to clarify?”
Then teach from there.
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