Key Questions to Ask When Ordering Children Stories with Pictures

Asking and answering ‘Wh-‘ questions is a key part of language development. Children must be able to understand questions in order to have a conversation and pass on information to others. Starting to ask and answer ‘Wh-‘ questions is a milestone that most children start to reach between the age of 1 and 2 years, and they’ll continue to develop their receptive and expressive language in the lead up to school.

What Are Wh- Questions?

Wh-questions are certain types of questions we ask to get information about different things and are used frequently every day at home and in the classroom:

• Who – asks about a person (eg. ‘who won the race on Saturday?’)
• What – asks about something (eg. ‘what is that?’)
• When – asks about a time (eg. ‘when do you finish work?’)
• Where – asks about a place (eg. ‘where are we going?’)
• How – asks about the manner, condition or quality (eg. ‘how does this work?’)
• Why – asks about a reason (eg. ‘why is the sky blue?’)

Why Are They Important?

It is important that children ask and answer Wh-questions, as they lay the groundwork for children to participate in conversations, demonstrate knowledge, and collect information about themselves and their world. Children learn Wh-questions in a sequence starting with more concrete questions about their immediate environment – eg.“What” is the earliest question mastered, followed by “Who” and “Where.” Finally, an understanding of “When” and “Why” develop, with “Why” being the most difficult to master.

How Can You Help Your Child Learn to Understand and Answer Wh- Questions?

• Start with the easiest Wh- questions first (eg. what) and then progressing to harder, more abstract questions (eg. when)
• Working on only one question at a time to avoid confusion.
• Model answers to questions if your child is not sure how to answer them correctly (eg. ‘what did you have for lunch today? ….You had your sandwich and an apple’). Repeat the question to see if your child answers correctly after modelling.
• Provide multiple opportunities and repetitions of similar questions across different activities (eg. asking ‘what’ questions during book reading and using the same ‘what’ questions during a game of eye spy)
• Use visuals to represent different Wh- questions (eg. you might have picture of different places for ‘where’ questions or pictures of people for ‘who’ questions)

Activities That Can Help Build an Understanding of Wh- Questions

• While reading simple storybooks with illustrations or pictures, ask your child questions like, “Who is this? What is he/she doing? Where is the child going? When will he/she come back? Why is he/she leaving?” Practice these types of questions, as well as saying the answer.
• Ask questions about your child’s day at school using Wh-questions. “Who did you sit with at lunch? Where did the class go for music time? When did you play outside? What did you eat for lunch? Why did you bring home your books?
• Cut pictures from magazines/books. Make a Wh-question chart with each type of question in a separate column. Show your child a picture and ask him/her to place the picture in the correct column. For example, you show the child a picture of a man – he/she puts the picture in the Who column. An apple – he/she places in the What column; a picture of a park – he/she places in the Where column.

Download our Free Wh- Questions Resources

Our team has developed some practical resources to use with children to build their knowledge of wh- questions.

To help encourage creative thinking and develop your child’s critical thinking skills ask your child open-ended questions about their artwork.

Open-ended questions will help support your child’s efforts rather than if you said “good job” or “that is beautiful”. Plus, you may be surprised at their answers.

10 Questions to Ask Your Child About Their Artwork

1. What can you tell me about your picture?

2. What materials did you use?

3. Where did you get your idea?

4. What is your favorite part of the picture?

5. What title would you give this picture?

6. If you were doing this picture again what you change or do differently?

7. Why did you use the color… (insert color)?

8. What if…. (you had used the color red instead of blue or paint instead of pencil)?

9.  How did you….(make these lines, decide on these colors, or create that shape)?

10. If you had more time what would you add to your artwork? Encourage your child to elaborate on their answers or use the artwork as a starting point for telling a story.

Encourage your child to elaborate on their answers or use the artwork as a starting point for telling a story. Open-ended questions will help develop critical thinking skills in your child.

By taking an interest in their work you are supporting them and helping them express their own ideas. Follow us on

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