Gestures for Want and Help
Gestures for Want and Help
A child may use pointing, reaching, a sound, or one word to express a need; the adult interprets the context. The aim is connection and response, not a performance task.
Today's Approach
Amara is about 1 year 9–10 months old. Keep each activity to 3–8 minutes. Looking, pointing, making a sound or saying one word, staying quiet, pausing, or declining all count. Use only the poster and audio; do not require objects, answers, repetition, performance, touch, or eye contact.
A4 Teaching Picture
Open the teaching picture to download or print
Goals
- Communication: hear and see “You point to the picture. You want to look.” and “You reach for me. You may need help.” in natural descriptions.
- Understanding: An adult can respond without requiring a full sentence.
- English: understand two short descriptions with picture support, without repeating.
- Quantity: the adult points one-to-one through one sock, two shoes, and three birds, without requiring an answer.
Materials
- Only the A4 teaching picture above, printed or displayed full-screen.
- The English audio below at a comfortable volume.
- No cards, toys, food, containers, or any other physical objects are needed.
1. Chinese Picture Talk
Time: 5–8 minutes.
Two scenes show a child pointing to a picture they want to see and signaling an adult for help. Say slowly, “你指向这幅图。你想看。” and “你向我伸手。你可能需要帮助。” once each, then pause to notice what Amara actually attends to.
Amara may look anywhere, point, make a sound, say one word, stay quiet, pause, or decline. Do not ask “What is this?” or “Who is doing it?” Do not correct, score, or request a retelling.
2. English Time
Time: 3–5 minutes.
Download today's English audio
Transcript: English time. Listen, look, or point. You point to the picture. You want to look. You reach for me. You may need help. One sock. Two shoes. Three birds. All done.
Play it once. The adult may gently point to the matching picture as the audio plays. Repetition, movement, and looking at the adult are not tasks.
| English | Chinese | Possible response |
|---|---|---|
You point to the picture. You want to look. | 你指向这幅图。你想看。 | Look, point, make a sound, or say one word |
You reach for me. You may need help. | 你向我伸手。你可能需要帮助。 | Listen quietly, pause, or decline |
3. Early Quantity: 1, 2, 3
Time: 3–5 minutes.
Use only the three separate bottom boxes: one sock, two shoes, and three birds. The adult moves one fingertip one-to-one and says “one, two, three” once. Do not count the main picture, words, or border, and do not ask Amara to identify numerals.
4. Adult Response and Boundaries
Time: 3–5 minutes.
The adult can say, “I noticed your signal.” Describe the place Amara looks toward. If she turns away, pushes the screen, becomes quiet, or says no, respond promptly: “You want to pause. We will stop.”
Safety and Development Note
An adult can respond without requiring a full sentence. The poster and audio support shared looking only; they never replace real supervision. Adults are responsible for real safety, hygiene, feeding, body care, and necessary boundaries. Do not use quizzes, correction, rewards, scores, forced repetition, or comparison.
Gentle Bedtime Recall
Time: 3–5 minutes.
Say “You point to the picture. You want to look.” and “You reach for me. You may need help.” once, then point through the bottom groups of one, two, and three. Looking, pointing, a sound, one word, quiet, pausing, or declining may all end today's recall.