Helping Your Child Tell You About Their School Day: Simple Strategies That Work

For parents, asking “What did you do at school today?” feels like an important moment. It’s our way of checking in, showing interest, and staying connected to your child’s world. Yet so often, the answer is “nothing”, “I don’t know”, or “I don’t remember.”

This can feel frustrating – especially when you know your child has spent a full day learning, playing, and socialising. However, difficulty answering this question is very common and doesn’t mean your child doesn’t want to share.

Why this question is harder than it sounds

Children are often exhausted after school

By the end of the school day, children have used a huge amount of mental energy. They’ve followed instructions, managed social situations, learned new information, and regulated their emotions. When children are tired, their ability to organise language and recall events reduces. Even children with strong language skills can struggle to explain their day at this point.

Talking about the day is a narrative skill

Being able to explain what happened at school requires narrative skills. This means:

• remembering events
• deciding what is important
• putting events in order
• explaining them clearly to someone else

These skills take time to develop and often need adult support. When we ask one open-ended question, we’re asking children to do all of this at once.

What are narrative skills?

Narrative skills involve the ability to tell a story or describe an experience. For school-day conversations, this usually includes:

• Who they were with
• Where they went
• When events happened
• What happened
• How they felt

Children don’t automatically know how to organise this information — they learn by seeing it modelled and by having structured support.

How parents can support narrative skills at home

1. Break the question down

Instead of asking one big question, try asking smaller, focused ones:

• “Who did you play with today?”
• “Where did you go at playtime?”
• “When did that happen?”
• “What did you do?”
• “How did you feel?”

This makes the task more manageable and helps guide your child’s memory.

2. Offer two choices: Instead of asking “What did you do?” try “Did you play outside or inside?” – giving options reduces pressure.

3. Reflect and expand: When your child shares a small detail, reflect it back: “You played with Sam – that sounds fun!” Then wait for them to add more.

4. Use sequencing words: Encourage simple phrases like “First… Then… Finally…” to help organise their story.

5. Model the answer yourself
Children learn narrative skills by hearing them. One of the most effective ways to support your child is to share your own day first. This shows them what a story looks like, the kind of details to include, and how to organise events.

For example, using a WHO / WHERE / WHEN / WHAT HAPPENED narrative storyboard, a parent might model like this:

WHO: Point to the WHO section and say:

• “I went to work today. I saw my colleague Sarah.”
• WHERE: Point to the WHERE section:
• “We were in the office all morning.”

WHEN: Point to the WHEN section:

“In the morning we had a meeting, and after lunch I worked on my blog.”

WHAT HAPPENED: Point to the WHAT HAPPENED section:

“During the meeting we talked about a new project, and I answered emails”

HOW DID YOU FEEL: Optional for emotional support:

“I felt happy because the meeting went well and I finished my blog”

Then invite your child to tell their story:

“I wonder what you can tell me about your day?”

By showing how you organise information about your own day, you model the skills your child needs without making it feel like a test. They see exactly how to tell a story, what details to include, and that it’s okay to start small.

Using a narrative storyboard

A narrative storyboard is a simple visual tool that helps children organise their thoughts and tell their school-day story. A very effective version has four sections:

WHO – Who did you spend time with?

WHERE – Where did the activities take place?

WHEN – When did things happen (morning, lunchtime, afternoon)?

WHAT HAPPENED – What did you do or experience?

HOW DID YOU FEEL – Optional, to support emotional language

Children can point to symbols, pictures, or words, or talk through each section with your

support.

Example of parent modelling using the storyboard:

WHO: Parent points to the WHO box and says:

“Let’s see… who did you play with today? I think you played with Sam”

WHERE: Parent points to the WHERE box:

“Where did you play? Outside!”

WHEN: Parent points to the WHEN box:

“Was that in the morning or after lunch? Morning”

WHAT HAPPENED: Parent points to the WHAT HAPPENED box:

“And what did you do? You played football”

HOW DID YOU FEEL:

“How did that make you feel? Happy”

The child may point, nod, say a word, or simply watch. All of these are valid. The focus is on showing how to organise the story, not expecting a perfect answer.

Why storyboards and modelling work so well

Visual supports stay in place – unlike spoken words, which disappear. Having something to look at helps children process information, recall events, and express themselves more confidently.

By modelling your own day and using a visual storyboard, children:

understand what information is expected

see the sequence of a story

feel less pressure to respond

build confidence over time

Storyboards reduce cognitive load, support sequencing, and encourage both language and emotional expression.

Choose the right moment

Some children are not ready to talk as soon as they walk through the door. You may find better conversations happen:

during dinner

while drawing or playing

at bath time

at bedtime

The storyboard can stay available and be used whenever your child is ready.

A gentle reminder for parents

If your child struggles to talk about their school day, it does not reflect their intelligence, enjoyment, or effort. Often it simply means they’re still developing the skills needed to organise and share their experiences – especially while tired.

By breaking questions down, modelling answers using your own day, and using a narrative storyboard, you’re giving your child the tools to communicate more confidently. Over time, those “nothing” answers often turn into meaningful, detailed conversations.

If you need any advice for supporting your child’s narrative, please do not hesitate to contact us at SpeechWise Therapy. Together, we can help your child communicate effectively!

Written by: Khadijah