2.5y–4.2y12 minReadingQuiet timeFamily time
Emotion Picture Talk: Faces Tell Stories
Coach the adult to use photos/pictures of emotions to help your child notice facial cues, name feelings, link feelings to situations, and practise supportive responses.
What you'll need
Essentials
- 4–8 pictures of faces showing emotions (family photos, magazine cut-outs, or simple drawings)
- paper and a crayon/pen
Nice to have
- tape/glue (optional)
- a small mirror (optional)
Movement level: false
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
- MilestoneExplains causesMind· 3.8y–4.6y· core· Step 2
- MilestoneVerbalizes empathyHeart· 4y–5y· core
- MilestoneNames own feelingsHeart· 3y–4y· core
- MilestoneAnswers simple open questionsMind· 2.3y–3.3y· core· Steps 1, 3
- MilestoneTalks about own interests and ideasMind· 4y–5y· stretch· Step 3
- MilestoneAnswers questions about a storyMind· 4y–6y· core· Step 2
- MilestoneAnswers story questionsMind· 2.1y–3.1y· core· Step 2
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Provide photographs and pictures of emotions for children to look at and talk about.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)