During naptime, Elijah and his dad, Mr. Chen, cuddle up with a stack of picture books.  Elijah points eagerly at the pages and babbles as his dad labels each animal.  When Elijah tries to say “cat,” Mr. Chen claps and repeats the word, encouraging Elijah to point and name every picture he recognizes. 

Aims: 
Connect spoken words and pictures in books 

Goals: 

• Support pointing, labeling, and word-object association 

Objectives: 

• Point to pictures when named 

• Try to say or imitate words in books. 

Transformation: 
Books become a source of meaning and joy 

Foundation: 
Previous book exploration 

What Happens Next: 
Ready for naming and describing more complex stories 

Skill Progression: 

• Pointing and labeling in books 

• Repeating book words 

Activities List: 

• Read favorite books and pause to point and name pictures. 

• Let baby “read” by babbling or pointing. 

• Praise every attempt at labeling. 

Materials: 
Board books, picture books 

Differentiation: 

• Use books with real photos for clarity. 

• For visual impairment, describe pictures with rich language. 

Integration: 
Storytime as a daily routine—morning, nap, or bedtime 

Parent Simulation Tip: 
Let your baby turn the pages and choose the reading pace 

Interactive Activities: 

• Individual: Book pointing game 

• Group: Family “story circle” 

Activity Pack: Please print the accompanying activity pack for this lesson.