How Wh- questions give your toddler an extra language challenge (and what is a Wh- question?)

Researchers have found that in Western societies parents ask their children more questions as they get older.^[1] We've taken a look at how different types of questions offer an extra challenge to your toddler.  

The simplest questions just need a yes, no or I don’t know answer. But others, often those started with a Wh-word, are more complex.  

What is a Wh- question?  

Wh-questions use who, what, where, when, why and how (we know how doesn’t start with wh, but researchers put it in this category!).  

These questions are harder to understand and need more than a yes or no answer. And some of these questions are probably a bit tricky for your toddler just now!  

Wh- questions support your toddler’s language development because they prompt them to say a word 

Asking your toddler questions, such as, “What’s that?” or “Where’s the cat?”, helps them to remember and say a word, or prompts them to use their understanding to show you a picture or object.  

These questions will often be part of reading a story with your toddler as you look together at the book and play games spotting things in the picture.  

Don’t ask too many questions 

Having read this article, you might feel you need to up your questioning game! But we’re not suggesting you make every interaction with your toddler a question-and-answer session. 

Comments which tell your toddler what they’re doing or seeing, but don’t require a reply, are also a brilliant way to support their speech.  

Really, it’s about asking questions that are interesting or useful, and when it feels right to keep the game or conversation going, try to use a Wh- question.  

Reference: 

[1] Rowe, M.L., Leech, K.A., & Cabrera, N. (2017). Going beyond input quantity: Wh-questions matter for toddlers’ language and cognitive development. Cognitive Science – A Multidisciplinary Journal, 41, 162-179.