Looking at Pictures
Aims
This activity is designed to:
- introduce new words
- show that spoken words can be linked to pictures
- begin to encourage your child to pay attention and join in a learning activity for short periods of time
When to start
This activity is suitable for children who are interested in looking at photographs and pictures, such as in books. (See guidance in Using See and Learn Vocabulary 1.)
Selecting vocabulary
We recommend that you teach your child a few words at a time. Start with words that should interest your child. (See guidance in Using See and Learn Vocabulary 1.)
Modelling and prompting
At first, model the activity. Demonstrate the steps in the activity, encouraging your child to watch and listen.
When your child starts the activity, prompt them as needed to help them complete the task successfully.
Steadily reduce your prompts as your child becomes more confident.
Instructions
| 1 | Show your child a picture card | |
[Cards]: Select the set of picture cards you wish to work with. Place one of the cards in front of your child. ::::
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[Apps]: From the Main Menu screen, select Activities > Looking at Pictures. Select the picture cards you wish to work with. Tap the start button. ::::
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| 2 | Attract your child's attention Say "let's look at pictures". Give your child time to look at the picture. |
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| 3 | Say the word Point to the picture and say the word. Simply say the word only - for example, "ball" rather than "this is a ball". Encourage your child to point at the picture. Allow them to pick up the card and look closely at the picture if they wish. [Apps]: If spoken prompts are enabled in settings, a recording of the spoken word will be played when the picture is tapped. |
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| 4 | Repeat the word three times Pause briefly between each repetition so your child can take in the information. |
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| 5 | Show your child the next card | |
[Cards]: Select the next card in the set and place it in front of your child. ::::
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[Apps]: Select the next card in the set by tapping or clicking the right arrow at the bottom of the screen. ::::
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| Consider having a box or a bag for your child to post the completed cards in or letting them tap the right arrow in the app to engage them in the activity. | ||
| 6 | Repeat steps 3-5 for each remaining card in the set Work through all of the cards in the set. |
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Apps settings
The apps include the following settings that control how the activity is presented:
- Play voice when new card is presented - enables or disables playing recordings of the words. We recommend that you say the words yourself at first so that your child can hears the word spoken in your accent.
- Play voice when card is tapped - enables or disables playing recordings of the words. We recommend that you say the words yourself at first so that your child can hears the word spoken in your accent.
- Enable applause - enables/disables playing applause at the end of the activity.
Recording progress
Record your child's progress using the Looking at Pictures record.
Enter the date that you introduce each word, and each date that you revisit the word (Figure 1).
Figure 1 | Example Looking at Pictures record
Progressing to the next activity
You can move on to the next activity (Matching Pictures) when your child is able to point to or hold a card, and has looked at the pictures 5 times.
Opportunities for additional practice
- Find other opportunities to use the words you are teaching throughout the day stressing the specific words, for example, "Do you want a [drink]?", "This is an [apple]?", "Shall we put on your [coat]?", "Daddy is [eating]?", "The cat is [sleeping]". You may find it helpful to keep a list of the words you are teaching on the fridge door or a noticeboard.
- Find objects or toys for the words that you are teaching. Set up play situations so that you can use the words and show what they mean - for example, "Let's give doll a [drink]", "Let's put doll to [bed]", "Doll is [sleeping]". (Note: we are using "doll" in every example because we are teaching single words at this stage - not two word phrases.)
- Put the pictures or objects in a bag and let your child take them out one at a time then look at them together and name them.
- Point out examples of the words that you are learning when you look at picture books with your child.
Teaching additional vocabulary
We also suggest you teach your child to understand a number of useful early words that cannot be easily illustrated with pictures including, [look], [gone], [more], [in], [finished], [wait], [what], [where], [put], [show], [me], and [point].
Some of these are early words your child may say or sign ([look], [gone], [more]). Others are useful for them to understand for following instructions ([wait], [what], [where], [in], [point], [finished]) but are not usually among the first words children say. Some of these words are used in activity instructions.
You can also teach these words with additional games:
- Put pictures or objects in a bag. Say "What is in the bag?" or "Let's look?" each time to begin to teach [in], [what] and [look].
- Hide the pictures or objects under a cloth and let you child take them out one at a time. You can say "Where is the dog?" and encourage your child to find it.
- Make a posting box and encourage your child to post each picture after you have looked at it and named it. You can say "Put it in the box" and also encourage your child to say "gone" as it goes into the box as this is another early word children use.
As you work through a set of words you can pause and encourage your child to say "more" before turning over the next card or finding the next object. At the end of the activity as you put away the items say "finished".
Another activity which is effective for teaching [more], [gone] and [finished] is a bubble game. Blow some bubbles and as they pop say "gone" and "bubbles gone". Pause and wait for your child to 'ask' by using the sign or saying the word for [more]. When you wish to end the game and put the bubbles away, say "finished".
Social words such as "bye-bye", "hello/ hi", "thank-you/ta", "good boy/girl", "night-night", and "no" are among the first words children understand and use. They will often learn gestures for them before they can say them. We have not listed these as they are usually taught naturally but do keep encouraging your child to understand and use them as they are very effective for encouraging your child to actually communicate and get a reaction.
