Chinese Oral Practice for Kids: Picture Talk Worksheets with Model Answers (Grades 3–5)

By the end you can

• Name what they see in a busy picture with 我看见. Start a picture talk with the people, then the things, and use 还 for the next thing your child spots.
  我看见老师和同学。 · Wǒ kànjiàn lǎoshī hé tóngxué. · I see the teacher and the classmates.
• Say who is doing what with 在. Who + 在 + the action, for a family dinner where everyone eats or drinks something different.
  奶奶在吃面条。 · Nǎinai zài chī miàntiáo. · Grandma is eating noodles.
• Describe a group with 有的…有的…. At the zoo, some classmates take photos and some look at the elephant, while the monkey plays in the tree.
  猴子在树上玩。 · Hóuzi zài shù shang wán. · The monkey is playing in the tree.
• Count what is there with 有 and a measure word. Three watermelons on the market stall, two puppies: a number, a measure word, then the thing, with 两 before a measure word.
  桌子上有三个西瓜。 · Zhuōzi shang yǒu sān ge xīguā. · There are three watermelons on the table.
• Say how someone feels, and why, with 因为. On a rainy day Duoduo has no umbrella and isn't happy, but Bao is, because he likes rain.
  宝很高兴，他喜欢下雨。 · Bǎo hěn gāoxìng, tā xǐhuan xià yǔ. · Bao is happy. He likes rain.
• Put the place before the action. In the park: 在 + place + action, so Grandpa reads under the big tree and the puppy runs on the grass.
  爷爷在大树下看报纸。 · Yéye zài dà shù xià kàn bàozhǐ. · Grandpa is reading a newspaper under the big tree.
• Tell events in order and say how well someone does something. 先…然后… for a birthday party, 得 for sports day, and 一边…一边… for two things at once in the kitchen.
  乐乐跑得很快。 · Lèle pǎo de hěn kuài. · Lele runs very fast.
• Finish with an opinion, then talk about any picture in five steps. End with 我觉得, then use the five-step plan on the last page: who, where, what, how they feel, what happens next.
  我觉得海边很好玩！ · Wǒ juéde hǎibiān hěn hǎowán! · I think the beach is fun!

What’s inside

• In the Classroom: Look: I See the Teacher · Talk: Talk About the Classroom
• Dinner with the Family: Look: Who Is Doing What? · Talk: Talk About Dinner
• At the Zoo: Look: Some Look, Some Take Photos · Talk: Talk About the Zoo
• At the Market: Look: Three Watermelons · Talk: Talk About the Market
• A Rainy Day: Look: Happy or Not Happy? · Talk: Talk About the Rainy Day
• In the Park: Look: Under the Big Tree · Talk: Talk About the Park
• A Birthday Party: Look: First Sing, Then Eat Cake · Talk: Talk About the Party
• Sports Day: Look: Lele Runs Very Fast · Talk: Talk About Sports Day
• In the Kitchen: Look: Washing and Singing · Talk: Talk About the Kitchen
• At the Beach: Look: I Think the Beach Is Fun · Talk: Talk About the Beach
• Picture talk: Five Steps for Any Picture

How to use this book

Ten picture scenes, each a Look page and a Talk page. About 10 minutes, one scene every day or two, with the free audio reading every line.

1. 2 minutes: Find. Find the numbered things in the big picture together and name them.
2. 3 minutes: Look page. Say the three Look lines with the audio, then the scene's pattern, such as 在, 因为 or 一边…一边…
3. 5 minutes: Talk page. Answer the questions in full sentences, then give the four-sentence talk. Change one thing, a name, a colour or a number, and say it again.
4. If it feels hard: Share the talk. Say the first sentence yourself and let your child add the next one. Praise the try, not the perfect tone.
5. After the ten scenes: Five steps. Choose any picture and give a five-step talk. Model answers are at the back.

Who it’s for

Children aged 8 to 10 (grades 3 to 5) in Chinese immersion or school Chinese classes, practising picture talk (看图说话) with a parent or teacher.

Before you start: Your child should say simple sentences in Chinese. Every line has pinyin and English and is on the free audio, so you don't need to speak Chinese to help.

Frequently asked questions

What are the ten picture scenes?

The classroom, dinner with the family, the zoo, the market, a rainy day, the park, a birthday party, sports day, the kitchen and the beach. Each scene teaches one sentence pattern, and the last page gives a five-step plan for talking about any picture.

What is on each Look page and Talk page?

The Look page has the big picture, three lines and the scene's pattern. On the Talk page your child finds the numbered things, answers questions in full sentences, then gives a four-sentence talk. A model talk shows one way to say it.

Should my child learn the model talks by heart?

No. They are there to change: ask your child to swap one thing, such as a name, a colour or a number, and say the talk again. Model answers are at the back for checking.

How long does it take?

About 10 minutes a scene: 2 finding, 3 on the Look lines with the audio and 5 on the Talk page. One scene every day or two is plenty. If it feels hard, say the first sentence yourself and let your child add the next one.

Do I need to speak Chinese to help?

No. Every line has pinyin and English and is on the free audio, read with a pause so your child can say it back. Praise the try, not the perfect tone.

What else helps with speaking at this age?

Chinese Listening Practice for Children has ten audio units with a line to say at the end of each, and Chinese Reading Comprehension for Kids ends every passage with one sentence to say aloud.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Keep going

Chinese Immersion Homework Practice: Weekly Words, Dictation and Sentences (Grades 3–5) · Chinese Reading Comprehension for Kids: 10 Short Passages with Questions (Grades 3–5) · Chinese Listening Practice for Children: 10 Audio Units for Class and Home (Grades 3–5) · Chinese Idiom Stories for Kids: 8 Chengyu Fables with Pinyin and Audio (Grades 3–5) · Browse all 294 workbooks