Spark Learning Hub

⏰ Temporal words can be tricky because their meaning can change with context!

I talked about this in an earlier post about "early" ☀️ and I've noticed something similar with the word "later."

“Later” can refer to different amounts of time depending on context. The listener is usually expected to infer this meaning.

For example, if a child asks "When is recess?" then "later" would likely refer to later today.

But, if a child asks, "When is the our field trip?" then "later" would likely refer to later this week, month, or even year.

This doesn’t mean we should avoid using the word “later.” Kids need to understand flexible temporal words because they hear them all the time.

But, we can start by making sure we pair “later” with more specific language. Like “Later today, around 2PM,” or “Later this week, sometime Thursday.”

By being more explicit, and talking through the different ways "later" can be used, we can help students notice how the meaning changes depending on the situation. Over time, this can help kids begin to infer the meaning on their own or ask questions to clarify!

How do you support kids or students with temporal words like “later”?