Photos of Family and Friends
Here's What To Do
1
Gather 4-5 photos of family and friends that your child knows and has relationships with; avoid rare or special photos that you wouldn’t want damaged.
2
Show the child each photo and name the person or people as well as their relationship to the child, for example “This is Grandma Jackie” or “This is Cousin Mike”.
3
Repeat often. Add photos of other family members over time.
Put PEER Into Action
P
Pause:
- Make eye contact with your child and smile.
E
Engage:
- Say to your child, “let’s look at photos of the people we love and care about.”
- When holding the photos, ask “Who is this? Why do we care or love him/her/them”?
E
Encourage:
- Imitate or repeat your child’s responses to photos when they are really expressive or have noticeable reactions.
- Ask and answer your own questions (this helps your child learn how they should respond).
R
Reflect:
- Does your child seem to recognize the family members in the photos? Do they try talking to them or interacting with them?
Not quite ready?
Younger babies may respond in subtle ways, but don't worry! They're learning new vocabulary and names even if it doesn't seem like it.
Ready for more?
Ask your child to independently lay out the photos and say the names and relationships of the people in the photos.
As your child masters this skill...
They will learn names and relationships of people in photos.