Practising What and Where Questions With Your Child at Home

Every time you ask "What's that?" or "Where's your shoe?" you're handing your child two of the most useful keys to language — and your home is the perfect place to practise.

In short

You can build What and Where questioning at home through simple, playful turns during everyday routines — naming objects (what) and locating them (where) during play, meals, bath and dressing. Start with what your child already knows, model the answer, give a beat to respond, and celebrate every try. Little and often — a few minutes, many times a day — beats one long session.

Everyday activities to try

"What" questions — naming and identifying

• During play, hold up an object and ask "What's this?" If your child doesn't answer, model it: "It's a ball!" — then try again next time.
• Use picture books: point and ask "What is the dog doing?" Keep choices small at first ("Is it a cat or a dog?").
• Mealtime is gold: "What do you want — banana or apple?" Choices invite a response without pressure.

"Where" questions — location and prepositions

• Hide a favourite toy and ask "Where's teddy?" Help your child find it — "There it is, under the blanket!"
• During dressing: "Where do your socks go?" Pair the words with the action.
• Play "put it there" games — "Where does the cup go?" — naming on, in, under, behind as you go.

Make it work

• Wait 5–10 seconds after asking — children need time to process.
• Model the answer rather than correcting; repetition teaches.
• Follow your child's interest — questions about a beloved toy land far better than a worksheet.

When to ask for more support

If your child rarely responds to what or where questions, isn't pointing or naming familiar things by around two years, or seems frustrated trying to communicate, a friendly developmental check can tell you whether a little extra help would make things easier. There's no harm in asking early — it simply gives you a clearer picture.

The Pinnacle way

At Pinnacle Blooms Network, our speech therapy team weaves what and where questioning into play that fits your family's daily routine, so practice feels natural, not like homework. A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care — at home, your job is simply to play, model and enjoy the back-and-forth. With 25 million+ therapy sessions behind us, we can show you exactly which games suit your child's stage.

Trusted sources

Guided by communication-development guidance from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the CDC's developmental milestones, which highlight responding to simple questions and using location words as key early-language steps.

Next step — message our speech therapy team on WhatsApp at +91 91001 81181 for a quick chat about easy questioning games matched to your child's stage.

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.