Follow the Path
Follow the Path
Today we look at one broad dashed path from start, around a soft obstacle, and toward a finish marker.
Today's Approach
Amara is about 2 years and 5 months old. Keep each guided activity to 3–8 minutes. Looking, pointing to any path part, making one turn, saying one word, or declining all count. This is a picture conversation, not a maze or tracing task.
A4 Teaching Picture
Open the original image to download or print
How to use it
Print on portrait A4 paper with “Fit to page,” or show it full-screen. Use only the poster. The adult may point to start, around, and finish, but Amara does not need to trace the dashed line with a finger or solve a maze.
Goals
- Chinese: understand “起点、绕过、终点、转弯、停下.”
- English: meet
start,around,finish,turn, andstop. - Thinking: notice a simple path can change direction around something.
- Early math: touch exactly one flag, two trees, and three stars in the bottom row.
- Movement: make at most one slow turn on a clear indoor floor beside an adult.
Materials
- Only the A4 teaching picture above.
- No flags, trees, stars, tape paths, cones, blocks, or maze materials are required.
1. Chinese Picture Talk
Time: 5–8 minutes.
- “小路从旗子旁开始。”
- “虚线绕过软方块。”
- “箭头转弯，最后到星星。”
- “走到标记旁，可以停下。”
Offer one prompt: “你想看起点还是终点？” Any response is accepted.
2. English Time
Time: 3–5 minutes.
| English | 中文 | Possible response |
|---|---|---|
start | 起点 | Point to flag |
around | 绕过 | Point to curved path |
finish | 终点 | Point to star |
turn | 转弯 | Make a small turning gesture |
stop | 停下 | Rest hands or feet |
Model slowly: Start. Go around. Finish. Stop. Amara need not copy or recall the order.
3. Early Math: Flag, Trees, Stars
Time: 3–5 minutes.
- Under 1, touch the one flag.
- Under 2, touch the two trees separately.
- Under 3, touch the three stars separately.
Do not count arrows, path dashes, leaves, or upper markers.
4. Safe Movement: One Slow Turn
Time: 3–5 minutes only when the indoor floor is dry, clear, bright, and uncluttered.
An adult stays within arm's reach. Take one slow step, make one wide gentle turn, then stop. Do not add obstacles. Watching, holding the adult's hand, or declining are complete responses.
5. Life Skill: Stop at the End
Time: 3–5 minutes.
Point to the finish card and model: Finish—stop. Connect it with pausing beside the adult, not with winning or completing a maze.
Movement Safety
Do not create a floor maze or ask for finger tracing. Move only in a clear indoor space with close adult supervision; no running, stairs, roads, furniture weaving, slippery floors, or obstacles. Stop for fatigue, distress, imbalance, or refusal.
Bedtime Recall
- “小路绕过了什么？”
Start, turn, or stop?
No sequence recall is required.