Who Is in the Picture?
Who Is in the Picture?
Today we notice whether a picture shows a child, adult, or animal. We answer who, point to a character, and optionally invent a label for a fictional picture character while protecting real names and personal information.
Today's Approach
Amara is about 2 years and 5 months old. Keep each activity to 3–8 minutes. Looking, pointing, saying one word such as “person” or “dog,” inventing a name, or declining all count. NAME 说名字 means naming a fictional picture character only; Amara never has to disclose her own or anyone else’s real name.
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, or display it full-screen. Begin with the visible categories child, adult, and animal. Do not guess a character’s name, gender, family relationship, job, or personality.
Goals
- Chinese: understand 谁, 孩子, 大人, 动物, 指一指, and 说名字.
- English: meet
who,child,adult,animal,point, andname. - Cognition: identify pictured people and animals from visible features without adding information the image does not provide.
- Early maths: count one child, two adults, and three animals.
- Communication and privacy: answer with a category or fictional label, and understand that a real name need not be shared.
Materials
- Only the A4 teaching picture above, printed or displayed full-screen.
- No family photographs, identity cards, or real-person information are needed.
1. Chinese Picture Talk
Time: 5–8 minutes.
Start with objective descriptions:
- “图里有一个孩子。”
- “图里有一个大人。”
- “图里有一只动物，是小狗。”
Then invite:
- “谁在这张图里？”
- “你想指孩子、大人还是动物？”
- “要不要给这个图片角色取个假名字？”
If Amara uses a family-style title, accept it and add, “We only know this is an adult; we do not know the real relationship.”
2. English Time
Time: 3–5 minutes.
| Word | Meaning | Possible response |
|---|---|---|
who | 谁 | Look towards one character |
child | 孩子 | Point to the child |
adult | 大人 | Point to the adult |
animal | 动物 | Point to the dog or another animal |
point | 指一指 | Point with a finger or whole hand |
name | 给图片角色起称呼 | Use a category, pretend name, or no name |
Use Who is in the picture?, A child., An adult., An animal., and Point to one. A full sentence is not required.
3. Early Maths: Who Has 1, 2, 3?
Time: 3–5 minutes.
- 1 child:
one child. - 2 adults: touch each and say
two adults. - 3 animals—a dog, cat, and rabbit: touch each and say
three animals.
Count only the characters in the bottom cards, not the people in the middle row. Match one point to one character.
4. Character Pointing Game
Time: 3–5 minutes.
Say child, adult, or animal. Amara may:
- point to the matching picture;
- move an open hand near it without touching the screen;
- look towards the character;
- use Chinese, English, or an invented label.
Stop after two or three rounds. Do not score speed or consecutive correct responses.
Privacy and Respect
Never ask Amara to state her name, address, nursery, family members’ names, or information about real people in photographs. Do not assign a gender, family role, or job to a pictured person, and do not imply that an unfamiliar adult is a trusted adult to follow.
5. Everyday Observation and Life Skills
During ordinary picture-book sharing, ask “Who is in the picture?” once and keep the conversation about fictional characters. If Amara mentions someone real, follow gently without probing for private information. Caregivers protect privacy before sharing photographs.
Bedtime Recall
- “今天图里有谁？”
- “你最想指哪个角色？”
Child, adult, or animal?
Do not ask for a character’s “real name” or test whether an invented name was remembered.