I Spy, You Spy is a new CBeebies show that brings the much loved game to life.
Lovable puppet Elsee invites little ones to pause, look closely and enjoy the world around them through the fun of I Spy.
Join speech and language therapist Asma Khanum as she watches Elsee and friends play I Spy, labelling new things in their environment to build their vocabulary.
Speaker 1: Sometimes learning doesn't have to happen as part of a structured game.
It can happen anytime, anyplace, just by noticing what's around us and talking about what's going on. Let's take a look at this next clip of Zachariah and Elsee in the library.
You'll see Elsee is commenting and labelling what she sees.
Speaker 2: There are lots and lots of books here on bookshelves all around.
There's a librarian behind a desk who can help you find books and toys to play with.
Speaker 1: By labelling words in your environment, you're helping your child to build their vocabulary.
You're attaching the word to the object, which is far more meaningful for the child and helps them to learn and grow their vocabulary faster. Let's have a look at some more labelling in action.
Speaker 2: We're on a canal boat. The boat is long and narrow and we can sit and watch the world go by, looking at the trees and flowers growing on the side.
We're at a market. The stalls are packed with brightly coloured fruits and vegetables.
Today we're at the museum. There's lots of interesting old things that are kept in glass cabinets to keep them safe.
Speaker 1: As you've just seen, labelling can happen anywhere.
These little moments are great opportunities to build strong connections with your child and help them to grow their vocabulary.
Next time you're out and about, why not have a go? Just label what you see in your environment. It's as easy as that.
How I Spy can teach children new words
I Spy is excellent for helping your child put their phonics learning into practice, particularly their understanding of initial sounds in words.
It encourages children to think about the sounds that make up words and stimulates their imagination as they search for objects.
It also helps them practise saying a variety of familiar words and promotes taking turns, which supports conversation skills and social development.
Read more of how you can play I Spy effectively with your children.
How to learn through labelling
By simply naming what you and your child see, you help them connect words with objects in a way that is both meaningful and memorable.
Whether at the library, in the market, or even on a boat ride, every outing offers opportunities to notice and label the world around you.
Hearing new words in a variety of contexts helps children to deepen and strengthen their understanding of vocabulary and meaning, supporting their overall language development.
Other games to help with learning phonics
Here are just a few activities on the CBeebies Parenting website that are designed to help with early phonics learning.
