Here and There
Here and There
Spatial words begin in clear pictures without requiring abstract judgments. 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 “The dog is here, near the child.” and “The bird is there, in the tree.” in natural descriptions.
- Understanding: Here and there depend on where we are.
- English: understand two short descriptions with picture support, without repeating.
- Quantity: the adult points one-to-one through one spoon, two socks, and three shoes, 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.
A dog is beside the child and a bird is on a distant branch; the relationship is clear. Say slowly, “小狗在这里，靠近孩子。” and “小鸟在那里，在树上。” 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. The dog is here, near the child. The bird is there, in the tree. One spoon. Two socks. Three shoes. 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 |
|---|---|---|
The dog is here, near the child. | 小狗在这里，靠近孩子。 | Look, point, make a sound, or say one word |
The bird is there, in the tree. | 小鸟在那里，在树上。 | Listen quietly, pause, or decline |
3. Early Quantity: 1, 2, 3
Time: 3–5 minutes.
Use only the three separate bottom boxes: one spoon, two socks, and three shoes. 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
Here and there depend on where we are. 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 “The dog is here, near the child.” and “The bird is there, in the tree.” 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.