The Fruit Shop
The Fruit Shop
Today's activities use a fruit shop theme to connect language, early math, movement, and everyday life through one interactive teaching picture.
Today's Approach
Amara is about 2 years and 4 months old. The goal is not to memorise words or numbers. We are looking for joyful interaction, choices, hands-on exploration, and repetition. Split the plan into short sessions and stop whenever she loses interest.
A4 Teaching Picture
Open the original image to download or print
How to use it
Print in colour on portrait A4 paper with “Fit to page” selected. If a printer is unavailable, show it full-screen on a tablet or computer. Guide Amara to look, point, say, count, and choose; she does not need to read the printed words.
Goals
- Chinese: understand and try words for big, small, more, and less.
- English: meet
apple,banana,red,yellow,big, andsmallthrough the picture, pointing, and actions. - Early math: practise one-to-one counting from 1 to 3, identifying categories, and comparing quantities.
- Movement: walk, squat, stand, and touch the requested picture accurately.
- Life skills: choose, take turns in role play, and put the teaching picture away afterwards.
Materials
- The A4 teaching picture above, printed or displayed full-screen.
- Optional tape or magnets to place the picture on a wall.
- An optional picture book about food, colours, or shopping.
1. Chinese Reading and Conversation
Time: 10–15 minutes.
Use the teaching picture as today's wordless picture book. Let Amara look freely, then follow the sequence fruit, colour, size, and quantity. Wait for a look, point, gesture, or word, then expand the response into a short sentence.
Useful prompts:
- “What can you see?”
- “Which one is big? Which one is small?”
- “How many are there?”
- “What does the rabbit want?”
- “Which one would you choose?”
Today's Original Mini Story
Little Rabbit walked into the fruit shop.
She saw one big apple and two yellow bananas.
Little Bear asked, “Would you like red or yellow?”
Little Rabbit pointed and said, “A red apple, please. Thank you.”
Little Bear then asked her to find the small apple and three apples.
After the story, ask Amara to find the big apple, touch the two bananas one at a time, and show where the three apples are.
2. English Time
Time: 10–15 minutes, focused on listening, looking, moving, and optional imitation.
Words
| English | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| apple | 苹果 | Point to a red apple |
| banana | 香蕉 | Point to a yellow banana |
| red | 红色 | Point to red in the picture |
| yellow | 黄色 | Point to yellow in the picture |
| big | 大的 | Open both arms |
| small | 小的 | Bring both hands together |
Useful Chunks
A red apple.A yellow banana.Big or small?I want an apple, please.Thank you.
Play:
- Say
Show me an apple.and let her point to any apple. - Ask
Big or small?and accept a point or gesture. - Pretend to be the shopkeeper while she points to what she wants, then swap roles.
- Say
Thank you.together and wave goodbye to the picture.
3. Early Math: Finger Detective
Time: about 10 minutes.
Count
- Find 1 and touch the one apple beside it.
- Find 2 and touch the two bananas one at a time.
- Find 3 and touch the three apples one at a time.
- Say one number for each touch so the finger and number words stay matched.
Sort
- Ask, “Which ones are apples?” and point to each apple in the picture.
- Ask, “Which ones are bananas?” and point to each banana.
- Find the red fruit and the yellow fruit.
Compare
- “Which side has more fruit, 1 or 3?”
- “Which side has less?”
- “Which apple is big? Which apple is small?”
Pointing carefully and comparing matter more than reciting or writing numbers.
4. Gross Motor Play: Fruit Delivery
Time: 10–15 minutes, with an optional second round.
- Fix the A4 teaching picture at one end of the room and let Amara start at the other end.
- Give one short instruction and ask her to walk to the “shop.”
- She squats, stands up, and then touches the requested fruit or number.
- Add a cushion to walk around, a tape line to step over, or a straight line to follow.
Mix in short instructions:
- “摸一摸大苹果。”
- “找到两根香蕉。”
Touch the apple.Point to number three.
5. Outdoor Discovery
During today's outdoor time, try one short search:
- Find one big leaf and one small leaf.
- Find three safe little stones.
- Find something red or yellow.
Invite Amara to tell the family about one discovery later.
6. Life Skills: Use and Put Away the Picture
- Let Amara choose whether to begin with the apple or banana.
- Take turns being the customer and shopkeeper, “buying” fruit by pointing.
- Handle the printed sheet gently without folding or tearing; an adult operates any screen.
- Ask Amara to help return the sheet to a folder or its usual place.
Bedtime Recall
Keep it conversational rather than testing:
- “What did you buy today?”
- “Did you like the big apple or the small banana?”
Apple or banana?- “What would you like to play tomorrow?”