When Questions
Teaching children to understand "when" builds awareness of time, sequence, and the rhythm of daily life.
What Are When Questions?
When questions ask about time — specific moments, sequences, or conditions under which things happen. They help children understand temporal relationships.
- "When do we eat breakfast?"
- "When did you go to the park?"
- "When will daddy come home?"
Answering when questions requires understanding time concepts (morning, afternoon, yesterday, tomorrow) and recognizing patterns in routines.
When Do Children Learn When Questions?
When questions are typically more challenging than what/where questions, developing later as children grasp abstract time concepts:
Ages 2-3
Children understand "now" and "later" but struggle with specific when questions.
Ages 3-4
Children can answer simple when questions tied to routines ("When do we brush teeth?" → "At bedtime").
Ages 4-5
Children understand days of the week, morning/afternoon/night, and can sequence events.
Ages 5-6
Children grasp yesterday/today/tomorrow and can answer when questions about past and future events.
Time is abstract — children can't see or touch it. Visual schedules and routine-based teaching help make time concrete.
Teaching When Questions
Anchor to routines
"When do we wake up?" "When do we have lunch?" Daily routines provide concrete time references.
Use visual schedules
Picture schedules help children see the sequence of their day and answer "when" based on order.
Teach time words explicitly
Morning, afternoon, night, before, after, first, then, last — these words unlock when questions.
Connect to seasons and events
"When do we go swimming?" (summer) "When is your birthday?" builds calendar awareness.
Narrate sequences
"First we'll put on shoes, then we'll go outside." Modeling sequence language supports when comprehension.
Examples by Difficulty
Easier (routine-based)
- When do you sleep? (at night)
- When do we eat dinner? (in the evening)
- When do you brush your teeth? (morning and night)
Medium (sequence/conditional)
- When do we use an umbrella? (when it rains)
- When do you wear a coat? (when it's cold)
- When does the ice cream man come? (in summer)
Harder (past/future)
- When did we visit grandma?
- When will you be 6 years old?
- When did the story take place?
Coming to Our App
When questions will be included in future updates to our WH Questions app, using illustrated scenarios to practice time and sequence concepts.
Learn more about our Why app→