Naming People and Things

Safety

Mount the mirror securely to the wall and use shatterproof acrylic or safety-backed glass.
Objects handed to the infant must not fit the small parts test cylinder (1.25 in. × 2.25 in.) and must be safe to mouth.
Keep photographs behind a fixed clear cover or in a board-book album so the infant cannot pull off paper or plastic and mouth it.

Presentation

1
Watch the infant. Notice what they are looking at, reaching for, or holding.
2
Name that one thing in a short sentence, using its real name: "That is a spoon." "You have the ball." Say the name clearly and repeat it once.
3
Follow the infant's attention; do not redirect it. When they look at the window, name what is there: "A bird. The bird is on the tree." This is the point of interest: the name comes while the infant is still looking.
4
At the mirror, name the infant and yourself: "There is Maya. There is Ana." Touch and name one body part at a time: "Here is your nose."
5
Name people as they come in: "Here is Papa." Use the name the family uses.
6
Use the specific name, not a general word: "daisy" as well as "flower"; "whisk", not "thing".
7
When the infant points, look where they point, name it, and wait for a sound in reply.

Extensions, easiest to hardest

Ask, "Where is your nose?" and wait for the child to point; if they do not, touch and name it again
Name family photographs and ask, "Where is Grandma?"
Name actions as well as objects: "You are drinking. The ball is rolling."
Name the parts of a familiar object: "This is the handle of the cup."

Control of error

None in the material. The adult watches whether the infant looks at or reaches for the named person or thing, and names it again if not.

Ready to move on when the child…

Turns to look at a familiar person when the adult says their name
Looks at or points to a familiar object when it is named
Says or tries to say one or more names of people or objects
Points to a body part when asked (often closer to 18–24 months)

Guide note

Families who speak another language at home name things in that language. At school, give the name in English and, where a staff member knows it, in the child's home language. Ask the family for the names the child uses for the people in their photographs (for example, the child's word for grandmother).