CU 1.08Mapping a Tabletop or Shelf

1. 1

   Invite the child. Lay the paper on the tray and set three objects on it, spaced apart.

2. 2

   Ask the child to stand and look straight down at the objects. Say: 'This is how a bird would see them, from above.'

3. 3

   Hold one object steady and trace around its base. Lift it away: 'Here is its shape from above.'

4. 4

   Trace the other objects the same way and set them aside.

5. 5

   Point to the paper: 'This is a map. It shows where each thing was.'

6. 6

   Invite the child to put each object back on its outline.

7. 7

   Use position words: 'The cup is next to the block. The lid is between them.'

8. 8

   Clear the paper, set the objects in new places, and invite the child to make a new map.

What catches the child’s eye

• Lifting an object and finding its outline left behind on the paper
• Standing tall to look straight down at the objects, the way a bird would

Extensions, easiest to hardest

1. Color each outline to match its object
2. The guide moves one object while the child looks away; the child finds the change using the map
3. Map the top of a low shelf with its baskets, then the child's own table at snack time
4. Draw the outlines by looking from above, without tracing