Object inquiry skills
A young infant looks at black and white images.
Hold a nonmobile infant on your lap. Present three to four cards, one at a time. Hold each card for about 10 seconds. Describe each image as the infant gazes at it. Talk as if you are in a conversation with the infant. Example: “Kyle, I think you like the eye picture. This picture is made with lines and dots.”
If the infant appears especially interested in an image, hold it until the infant looks away. If the infant reaches for a card, move it close so the infant may touch the card. Repeat an infant’s vocalization, including a coo.
Before seven or eight months, most infants see between eight and fourteen inches away.
Simple shapes in black and white or another bold color on a contrasting background are interesting to infants in the first few months of life. Looking at high-contrast images can help an infant develop eye control, visual preference, and visual acuity.
The activity description suggests that you talk with the infant as if you are having a conversation. This suggestion is consistent with the serve-and-return concept described in the ELM Curriculum User Guide for infants and toddlers. The infant may serve a “coo” and you can return with an imitation of the “coo.” When you serve, such as pointing to a part of a picture as you describe it, the infant’s return will most likely be non-verbal.
If the infant becomes fussy, reposition him/her and return to the picture activity. Some infants may calm down and again focus on images. Pay attention to the infant’s body tension and sounds. You may wish to postpone the activity until the infant’s next alert cycle. Sometimes an infant needs comfort or movement rather than visual stimulation.
Extra support
Enrichment
Object inquiry skills
An older infant looks at book pictures of ducks, with opportunities to notice details.
Sit on the floor next to a mobile infant and invite him/her to join you in looking at pictures in the board book. The book offers attractive drawings of a mother duck and eight baby ducks.
Help the infant look at the book pictures in ways that can strengthen his/her skills in looking. For some infants, or on some pages, this will mean focusing on details of a picture. For other infants, or on some pages, this will mean looking at and talking about the dominant image on the page and giving little or no attention to other parts of the picture. No two sessions with infants will be alike. Infants differ in visual skills generally and will likely differ in their interest in the specific pictures offered in this book.
Use your own words to describe pictures. Point to aspects of a picture that you describe. On each page, point out little ducks and big duck. Emphasize little and big. If the infant is very focused on the pictures, draw attention to some details. Examples of details to highlight include the following:
Focus on picture details related to the story’s plot, such as the turtle finding the lost little duck. If the infant shows interest in the book’s story, point out images of the little duck separated from its group.
Encourage the infant to point to specific aspects of pictures, such as little ducks in the nest. Example: “Let’s look for the little ducks and the big, mommy duck.”
Talk about images the infant may point to. Example: If the infant points to a baby duck swimming, respond with a comment, such as “Little duck is in the water.”
This is an appropriate book for helping an infant look closely at pictures because there are few words and the storyline is simple. Infants will differ in their level of interest in picture details, as described in the activity plan. Some infants will be pleased to look at the primary images and will enjoy the refrain: “Have you seen my duckling?” Look for opportunities to emphasize the concepts of big and little. Pointing is especially important because infants are unlikely to understand many of the words you say. The activity plan describes images that can be emphasized with an infant who shows interest in picture details.
Paying attention to picture details is enhanced in repeated sessions with the book. Recall your experience rereading a favorite book or watching a movie for the second time. Most likely there were details you missed the first time. Young children similarly begin to observe more visual details when they have a second or third session with a book.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: black construction paper, white paper, glue, black and white mobile, Big Fish Little Fish by Fhiona Galloway, Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri, cloth fish, toy ducks of two sizes, basket, colored cellophane
Create a looking center in a small space that infants and caregivers can visit during the day. Fasten two sheets of black construction paper to the wall. Cut a simple shape from white paper and glue it to the first black sheet. Identify a white object to place in front of the other black paper. Hang a mobile made of black and white items.
Place the book, Big Fish Little Fish by Fhiona Galloway, in a basket with cloth fish for crawling infants to discover. On another day, place toy ducks in the basket with the book, Have You Seen My Duckling?
Provide duck toys in two sizes for infants to explore. During playtime, retell the story using the toys or a puppet. Display related items the infants can identify as big or little. Put some colored cellophane on a window, out of reach of infants, and lift the infant to look through it.
Materials Needed: see below
In addition to the book suggested in Option 2 for infants, consider offering books that can promote older children’s attention to details in pictures. Books with visual clues are fun for preschool-age children, as they can anticipate what happens next. Two possibilities are Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins, and The Mitten by Jan Brett. Older children may enjoy identifying letters or numerals in books, such as Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin and Three Little Mermaids by Marva VanFleet.
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