10-Minute Speech Practice That Doesn't Require Sitting Still

Last updated 2026-07-10

When should a child be able to answer 'what' questions?

Most children start responding to very basic 'what' questions somewhere around 18 to 24 months. At that stage the question is usually 'What's that?' with a finger pointed at a dog, and the expected answer is one word: 'dog.' Not sophisticated. Still a real exchange.

By age 3, a typically developing child answers 'what' questions about objects, body parts, and familiar actions without much prompting. By age 4 to 5, they handle abstract versions like 'What do you do when you're hungry?' or 'What happened at school today?' ^[1]

If your child is past age 3 and still not reliably answering even simple 'what' questions about visible objects, bring it up with a speech-language pathologist (SLP). It doesn't mean anything catastrophic. It's a signal that the skill needs direct, intentional teaching. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recommends an evaluation any time a caregiver has a concern about language development, and age 3 is a common referral point in practice. ^[2]

Late talkers, autistic children, and kids with apraxia of speech often reach this milestone later, or they need a different teaching route entirely. The rest of this article is about that route.

Why is answering 'what' questions hard for some kids?

Parents assume that if a child understands language, answering questions should follow. It doesn't. Answering a question is a different task from understanding one, and it can break in several places.

To answer 'What is that?', a child has to recognize the question as a request for information (not a comment), pull the right word from memory, produce it out loud at the right moment, and hold back other responses. Four steps. Any one of them can stall.

For autistic children, questions can be socially confusing. Research on autism and language shows many autistic kids respond to 'what' questions with echolalia (repeating part or all of the question back) or with silence, not because they don't know the answer, but because the pragmatic demand of a question is unclear or makes them anxious. ^[3] If your child repeats your question back to you, read about echolalia first, because the strategy for that pattern is different from a plain vocabulary gap.

Children with word-retrieval difficulties, including those with childhood apraxia of speech, may know the answer perfectly well but struggle to get the motor plan for the word out in real time. Push them to answer faster, or correct them over and over, and retrieval gets harder, not easier.

Some kids have simply never had the skill broken down and taught. That's the most common situation, and it's the most fixable.

What are the different types of 'what' questions, and which come first?

Not all 'what' questions sit at the same difficulty. Teaching them in the wrong order is one of the most common home mistakes.

Here's a rough progression from easiest to hardest:

Almost every child, whatever their ability level, should start at Level 1. Even a child who can label objects on their own benefits from starting there, because it delivers early success and builds the question-then-answer pattern before the vocabulary load climbs. ^[4]

Most parents start at Level 5 ('what did you do today?'), because it's what they actually want to know. It's also where almost every child with a language delay hits a wall. Table those questions for later.

How do you actually teach a child to answer 'what' questions step by step?

Here's the sequence SLPs use in practice, simplified for home. It works across ability levels, including for children who are minimally verbal.

Step 1: Teach the format before the content. Before you worry about whether your child knows the answer, teach them what a 'what' question sounds like and that it needs a response. Model it: ask yourself a question out loud and answer it. 'What is this? It's a cup.' Do this dozens of times across the day with zero pressure on the child to respond. This is 'self-talk' modeling, and it's supported by research on naturalistic language intervention. ^[5]

Step 2: Use errorless learning for the first answers. Errorless learning means setting up the question so the child can only give the correct answer. Hold up a ball, say 'What is this? It's a...' and pause with expectant body language. If they don't finish it, say 'ball' yourself, wait, then try again. You're building the retrieval pathway with no failure attached. This is not 'giving them the answer.' It's teaching.

Step 3: Offer forced choices. Once the child has some wins in errorless trials, move to forced-choice questions. 'What is this, a ball or a book?' Two options, both named, one correct. This cuts retrieval demand while still making the child process the question and pick. Over time, fade to one choice, then no choice.

Step 4: Use visuals and real objects. Real objects beat pictures. Pictures beat nothing. Working on food words? Run them in the kitchen with actual food in view. Visual context supports word retrieval far more than asking in the abstract. ^[6]

Step 5: Move into natural routines. Once a child gives reliable answers in structured practice (say, 80% correct across three days), move the same question types into real daily contexts: bath time, meals, playing outside. Natural routines give repetition without drilling.

Step 6: Expand to new vocabulary sets. Run the whole cycle again with new word categories: animals, then clothes, then actions, then attributes. Each new category may need errorless learning again at the start. That's normal.

What visual supports actually help kids answer 'what' questions?

Visual supports work because they take load off working memory. Instead of pulling a word entirely from inside their head, a child can look at a picture, symbol, or written word that triggers the retrieval. That helps autistic children and kids with significant language delays the most.

Options that need no special training:

Choice boards. A card or tablet screen with 2 to 4 picture options the child can point to or say. Ask 'What do we need to wash hands?' and the board shows soap, a towel, a cup, and a fork. They point. That counts as an answer. It builds the habit of responding to a question with correct meaning.

First-then boards. Less directly useful for 'what' questions, but they lower anxiety around structured tasks, which helps participation.

AAC devices and apps. For children who are minimally verbal or use augmentative communication, answering a 'what' question often means selecting a symbol on a device. That's a real answer, and AAC responses should be reinforced exactly the same way spoken answers are. ^[7] Read more about how AAC devices support language learning at every stage.

Photograph books. A small album of real photos from your child's life (their dog, their bedroom, their favorite toy) is a strong object-naming tool. Personal photos pull more engagement than generic clip art, and they cut down on guessing.

How many repetitions does it take before the skill sticks?

Nobody has good population-level data on this specifically for 'what' question answering. The closest research comes from behavioral intervention studies, which generally find children with autism need somewhere between 20 and 200 massed practice trials to reach criterion on a discrete skill, depending on the child and the complexity of the target. ^[8] Wide range. That's the honest picture.

Here's what it means in practice: short daily sessions (5 to 10 minutes of focused practice) beat one long weekly session. Three minutes at breakfast, three at bath time, three at bedtime adds up faster than it sounds.

The variable that matters most is reinforcement. Whatever the child finds motivating (praise, a small preferred toy, a bite of a favorite food) should follow a correct or approximated answer right away. Delayed reinforcement teaches nothing. Reinforcement within one to two seconds of the response builds the association.

Parents sometimes worry they're 'bribing' their child to talk. They're not. They're teaching. The treats and praise fade as the behavior becomes habit and the social payoff of communication becomes its own reward.

What if my child answers with echolalia instead of the real answer?

If you ask 'What is this?' and your child says 'What is this?' back, that's echolalia, and it needs a specific response.

Don't tell them they're wrong or ask again the same way. Try one of these instead:

Switch to a fill-in format. 'This is a...' with a clear pause. Fill-ins are easier than question-answering for kids who echo, because they strip out the question syntax that may be triggering the repeat.

Reduce your language load. Shorter, simpler prompts leave less to echo. Instead of 'Can you tell me what this is?' just say 'What is it?'

Wait longer. Some children need five to ten seconds to process and produce an original response. The echolalia fills the silence while they work. Wait it out before adding more prompts.

Don't try to erase the echolalia while you teach answering. These are two separate goals. Work with an SLP to prioritize. Echolalia often carries communicative function even when it looks like nonsense, and cutting it without replacing it with functional communication backfires. ^[3] See our closer look at echolalia meaning for how to read different echolalia patterns.

How does this fit into speech therapy? Should I do this at home?

Yes, home practice matters enormously. Research on naturalistic language intervention consistently shows that parent-implemented strategies between sessions improve outcomes compared to therapy alone. ^[9] A child who sees an SLP for 30 minutes once a week gets about 26 hours of therapy a year. The same child practicing 10 minutes a day at home adds roughly 60 more hours annually. The math makes the case on its own.

Still, an SLP sets the targets, adjusts the approach when things stall, and catches things a parent watching every day can miss. If your child isn't in speech therapy yet, and they're past 2.5 to 3 years with no reliable responses to even basic 'what' questions, a formal evaluation is the right next step.

Early intervention (services before age 3) is available at no cost in the United States under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part C. After age 3, Part B of IDEA covers school-based services for eligible children. ^[10] You don't need a doctor's referral to request an evaluation from your local school district.

For autistic children, autism spectrum speech therapy usually handles question-answering inside a broader communication plan, including social pragmatics and AAC when needed. The strategies here line up with what good ABA and speech-language programs do, but they don't replace individualized professional support when a child's needs are complex.

What mistakes do parents make when teaching 'what' questions?

A few patterns show up again and again, and they're worth naming.

Asking too many questions in a row. Three questions back to back overwhelm a child who's still building the skill. One question, wait, respond to whatever happens, move on.

Using questions as a test instead of a teaching tool. 'What is that?' asked to check whether your child knows something is very different from 'What is that?' asked inside joint attention and play. Children feel the difference. Keep it playful.

Correcting errors harshly or repeatedly. If a child says 'ball' while looking at a balloon, saying 'That's a balloon' once is fine. Drilling the correction, showing frustration, or coming back later to quiz them trains avoidance.

Expecting generalization to happen on its own. A child who answers 'What is this?' about pictures at the table may not answer the same question about real objects in the grocery store. Generalization gets taught, explicitly, across settings and people. Plan for it.

Moving up levels too fast. Answering 80% of Level 1 object questions doesn't mean your child is ready for 'What did you do today?' That question may be months away. Stay at the instructional level where they succeed.

How can I practice 'what' questions throughout the day without formal sessions?

Embedding practice in daily routines works better than a separate 'therapy time' for most families. Here are specific moments to use:

Meals. 'What do you want to eat?' with food visible on the table. 'What is this?' about each item. Use forced choices if needed.

Bath time. Name every object as a question. 'What is this?' (holding up shampoo). You answer if they don't. Keep it light.

Books. Pause on a page and ask 'What is that?' about clear, nameable pictures. This is one of the oldest and best-studied language-building routines, called shared book reading or dialogic reading. ^[11]

Play. During pretend or toy play, narrate and question. 'What does the cow eat?' 'What is in the box?'

Outside. Point at things on a walk. 'What is that?' about a truck, a tree, a puddle. Real places with real objects are an underused language context.

Aim for density without pressure. Lots of question chances across the day, low stakes on each one, lots of models and supported answers. That's the setting where the skill grows fastest.

If you want structured daily practice prompts alongside your work with an SLP, Little Words (littlewords.ai) offers an AI speech companion that gives parents targeted 'what' question activities matched to a child's current level. It's not a replacement for therapy, but it makes consistent home practice easier to keep up.

How do I know if my child is making progress?

Progress in this skill is measurable if you track it. Here's a simple method: once a week, run 10 structured 'what' question trials at the same difficulty level. Write down how many your child answers correctly without prompting, versus with prompting, versus not at all.

A reasonable benchmark: a child at 0 to 30% correct with prompts in week one, then at 50 to 60% correct unprompted by week four or five of daily practice, is showing real movement. If nothing has shifted after two to three weeks of consistent effort, change the approach, not the effort level. That's when to call the SLP.

Watch generalization too. Can they answer the same type of question with a different person (a grandparent, a teacher), in a different place, with different objects? Generalization often lags acquisition by two to three weeks, which is normal. But if a child hits 90% accuracy in the kitchen and zero at school, that gap is a target for explicit generalization training.

Frequently asked questions

At what age should a child answer 'what' questions?

Children typically start answering simple 'What is that?' questions around 18 to 24 months and can handle more complex 'what' questions (about events, functions, or hypotheticals) by ages 4 to 5. If your child is 3 or older and not answering basic object-naming 'what' questions at all, an evaluation from a speech-language pathologist is a reasonable next step.

Why does my child repeat my question back instead of answering it?

That's echolalia, and it's common in autistic children and some late talkers. It's not defiance or confusion in the usual sense. The child may be processing, buying time, or responding in the only way available at that moment. Switch to fill-in prompts ('This is a...') and model answers yourself before expecting independent responses. An SLP can help figure out what's driving the pattern.

What is errorless learning and how does it apply to 'what' questions?

Errorless learning means setting up a question so the child almost cannot get it wrong. For 'what' questions, that looks like asking 'What is this? It's a...' and providing the answer right away if the child doesn't respond within a few seconds. The goal is building a correct retrieval pathway without frustration or failure. Over many trials, you gradually delay your prompt to open space for an independent response.

Should I use picture cards or real objects to practice 'what' questions?

Real objects first. Real items in context (food at the table, toys during play, tools at bath time) give richer sensory and contextual cues that support word retrieval. Move to pictures once a child reliably names real objects. Both are useful, but the order matters. Using pictures too early can create a child who answers flashcard questions but can't answer the same question in real life.

How do I teach 'what' questions to a nonverbal or minimally verbal child?

Start with AAC. A choice board with two picture options lets a minimally verbal child answer 'what' questions by pointing or selecting, which builds the communicative habit without requiring speech. Reinforce device-based or pointing responses exactly as you would a spoken answer. The verbal response may come later; the comprehension and response skills transfer. An SLP with AAC experience is very helpful here.

What's the difference between 'what' questions and other wh-questions? Which should I teach first?

'What' questions are generally the easiest wh-question type and should be taught first. They anchor to concrete, visible referents early on. 'Who' questions follow, then 'where,' then 'when,' and 'why' and 'how' are the most complex because they require reasoning. Teach in this order and don't move to the next type until the current one is at 70 to 80 percent accuracy.

Can I use YouTube videos or TV shows to teach 'what' questions?

You can use them as prompts, but passive watching doesn't teach language. The research is clear that screen time without interaction doesn't improve vocabulary or question-answering skills in young children. Watching a short clip with your child, pausing it, and asking 'What is that?' about what you just saw is a valid, engaging practice format, especially for older toddlers and preschoolers.

How long does it take to teach a child to answer 'what' questions?

It varies widely. A neurotypical child who just hasn't been prompted much may reach reliable Level 1 answers within two to four weeks of daily practice. A child with autism or significant language delay may take several months to move through the levels, especially to get reliable generalization across settings and people. Consistent daily practice of even five to ten minutes makes more difference than session length.

What if my child answers 'what' questions at home but not at school or with strangers?

This is a generalization problem, not a regression. The skill is learned in one context and hasn't transferred yet. You need to practice across different people and settings on purpose. Ask a grandparent, a neighbor, or a teacher to run the same question routines. Start with easier, already-mastered items in the new context so the child can succeed before the difficulty increases.

Does answering 'what' questions mean my child understands language?

Partly, yes, but they're not the same thing. A child can understand a word (receptive language) without being able to produce it in response to a question (expressive language). Answering 'what' questions taps both receptive understanding and expressive retrieval, plus the social-pragmatic knowledge that a question requires an answer. Some children have strong receptive skills but significant expressive gaps.

Are there apps that help kids practice answering 'what' questions?

Several apps include 'what' question activities, and some are better than others. Look for apps that track a child's performance level, allow customization by vocabulary set, and are designed with input from SLPs. Little Words (littlewords.ai) is one option built specifically for neurodivergent kids and late talkers, with practice prompts matched to a child's current level. Any app works best when a parent sits alongside the child, not when it's used solo.

When should I be worried that my child can't answer 'what' questions?

If your child is 2.5 years old and doesn't respond at all to 'What is that?' about a visible object, that's worth a professional evaluation. If your child is 4 or older and can't answer 'what' questions about events or functions, that also warrants assessment. Neither timeline means something is 'wrong,' but both are past the point where waiting and hoping makes more sense than getting a professional opinion.

Sources

1. ASHA, Typical Speech and Language Development: Developmental milestones for question comprehension and answering in children ages 1 to 5
2. ASHA, Late Language Emergence (Practice Portal): ASHA recommends evaluation when caregivers have concerns about language development; late language emergence is a recognized clinical category
3. Prizant BM, Duchan JF (1981). The functions of immediate echolalia in autistic children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 46(3), 241-249.: Echolalia in autistic children often serves communicative functions rather than indicating absence of comprehension
4. Fey ME et al. (2003). Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research: Teaching language skills in a progression from concrete, contextually supported items to abstract produces better outcomes than starting with abstract targets
5. Weitzman E, Greenberg J (2002). Learning Language and Loving It. The Hanen Centre.: Self-talk modeling (narrating and answering questions aloud without requiring child response) is a validated naturalistic language facilitation strategy
6. Kaiser AP, Roberts MY (2013). Parent-implemented enhanced milieu teaching with preschool children with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 56(1), 295-309.: Real objects and natural contexts significantly improve word retrieval and expressive language outcomes compared to decontextualized practice
7. ASHA, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (Practice Portal): AAC-supported communication responses should be reinforced equally to verbal responses; AAC supports rather than replaces speech development
8. Lovaas OI (1987). Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55(1), 3-9.: Children with autism may require 20 to 200 massed trials to reach criterion on a discrete skill, depending on complexity and individual factors
9. Roberts MY, Kaiser AP (2011). The effectiveness of parent-implemented language interventions: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(3), 180-199.: Parent-implemented language interventions between therapy sessions significantly improve outcomes compared to therapy alone
10. U.S. Department of Education, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Part C of IDEA provides free early intervention for children under age 3; Part B covers school-based services for eligible children ages 3 and older
11. Whitehurst GJ et al. (1988). Accelerating language development through picture book reading. Developmental Psychology, 24(4), 552-559.: Shared book reading (dialogic reading) with question prompts about pictures is one of the best-studied naturalistic language-building routines
12. American Academy of Pediatrics, Developmental Surveillance and Screening: AAP developmental surveillance guidelines include language milestones and recommend referral when milestones are not met