Telling a story or what happened

This guide is about how your child tells you what happened, or tells a short story. In the ideas below, you say back what your child tells you and add what happened.

They fit into play, jobs around the house and trips out. You can use the same ideas in any language.

When children learn this

Health checklists say that by 4, most children talk about at least one thing that happened in their day.
Health checklists say that by 5, most children tell a story they have heard or made up, where at least two things happen.
Health checklists say that by 5, most children answer simple questions about a story you read or tell them.
Health checklists use 'most children' to mean at least 3 in 4 children. If your child is not doing a 'most children' skill by the age given, see your GP or child health nurse for advice.
Children learn language skills at different ages.

Try this

While you play

Play out a short story with a teddy: Teddy is hungry, Teddy eats, then Teddy goes to sleep.

Your child: Teddy sleep.
You: Teddy is asleep. First he ate, then he went to sleep.

Around the house

At dinner, tell your child one thing from your own day. Then ask about one thing you know happened in their day, and wait. If your child does not answer, tell it yourself.

You: I saw a big truck today. You did painting at preschool. What did you paint?
Your child: A dog.
You: You painted a dog. You painted a dog at preschool today.

When you go out

Your child falls over at the park and hurts their knee. Talk about it on the way home.

Your child: I fall over.
You: You fell over at the park. You fell over and hurt your knee.

Why it helps

When you say back what your child tells you and add what happened, your child hears how to tell about something. Your child does not have to copy you.
Reading together and talking about the pictures gives you both more to talk about.

When to get help

Tell the speech pathologist or your GP if your child is between 4 and 5 and uses no more than three words at a time or has trouble understanding what people say.
Tell the speech pathologist or your GP if your child is 5 or older and has trouble telling a simple story or what happened, has trouble understanding what they hear or what is read to them, or has a lot of trouble following or remembering spoken instructions.

Safety and when to act

If your child stops using words or skills they had, or you have new worries, see your GP. Do not wait.
If your child is 3 or older and people who know them well understand very little of what they say, or your child is 2 or older and not putting two or more words together, see your GP or child health nurse for advice.
Hearing problems can affect talking. Ask your GP about a hearing test, especially after a lot of ear infections.
If your child stutters, contact a speech pathologist. Give your child time to finish. Do not use word lists or sound games with a child who stutters unless your speech pathologist says so.
Tell your GP if your child often coughs, chokes or gags when eating or drinking, has wet or gurgly breathing, keeps getting chest infections, or is losing weight. If food is stuck and your child cannot swallow, go to the nearest emergency department. If it is hard for them to breathe, call 000 and ask for an ambulance. If your child is choking and cannot cough or make a sound, start first aid and call 000.
Do not ask your child to say a word again and again. They may get frustrated.
You can do these ideas in any language. Learning more than one language does not cause talking problems.
These ideas do not replace a speech pathologist. Stay on the waitlist.

More help

Sources

Last checked 12 October 2026

Telling a story or what happened