Core Skills Analysis
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
New looked at pictures of himself and other people he knew, which supported early identity recognition and a sense of belonging. By noticing familiar faces, New practiced matching a picture to a real person and began to understand that people can be remembered and identified through photos. This activity also encouraged social-emotional awareness as New saw connections between himself, family, and trusted adults, which can help build comfort and confidence in relationships.
Communication and Language
New explored pictures of himself and people he knew, giving him a chance to listen, look, and respond to names or simple comments about the images. As a 2-year-old, he likely built early vocabulary for people in his life, such as family members or familiar caregivers, and practiced understanding who was being pointed out in each picture. The activity also supported attention and joint focus, because New had to share an adult’s gaze and look carefully at the photos to make meaning from them.
Understanding the World
New looked at photographs of real people, which helped him notice that pictures can represent people from his everyday life. He began to make simple connections between the image and the person it showed, developing early awareness of the world around him and the important relationships in it. This kind of activity can also help a young child recognize that people change over time while still being the same familiar person.
Tips
To extend New’s learning, keep using family and friend photos during everyday conversation and name each person slowly and clearly so he can practice recognition. You could sort pictures into simple groups such as “me,” “family,” and “friends,” or point to a face and ask him to find the matching person in the room. Make a small photo book that New can turn through on his own, encouraging him to point, name, or vocalize familiar people. You might also add mirrors or comparison games so he can notice that photos, reflections, and real people are connected in different ways.
Book Recommendations
- Look at Me! by Michaela Muntean: A simple, engaging book about faces and looking closely, which connects well to recognizing people in photos.
- We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen: A well-known picture book that supports shared viewing, pointing, and talking about familiar characters and scenes.
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.: A repetitive, predictable book that helps young children practice identifying and naming people or animals by looking carefully.
Learning Standards
- EYFS Personal, Social and Emotional Development – supports sense of self, belonging, and relationships by recognizing familiar people and self in photographs.
- EYFS Communication and Language – encourages listening, attention, and early vocabulary through naming and discussing familiar faces.
- EYFS Understanding the World – helps children notice similarities and differences in people and connect photographs to real-life experiences.
- UK National Curriculum link: not directly applicable – this activity is best aligned with EYFS rather than numbered primary National Curriculum codes.
Try This Next
- Photo matching game: match a face photo to the correct person named by an adult.
- Point-and-name prompt: ask, “Who is this?” and encourage New to point, look, or say a name.
- Draw-a-face task: make simple crayon faces of family members or self-portraits.
- Simple sorting worksheet: place photos into “me,” “family,” and “other people I know” groups.