Reading Faces

To read a face, we look at three main parts: the eyes, the eyebrows, and the mouth. When someone is happy, their mouth usually turns up into a smile. Their eyes might get a little crinkly at the corners. When someone is sad, the corners of their mouth turn down. They might look at the floor, and their eyes might look heavy or watery. It is like their face is making a shape to tell us how they feel on the inside.

These two feelings can look almost the same because the eyes go very wide in both! To tell them apart, look at the eyebrows. On a surprised face, eyebrows go way up high like little rainbows. This happens when something unexpected happens. On a scared face, the eyebrows might pull together and look straighter. The mouth might stay open in both, but a scared mouth looks much tighter and less round.

Now it is your turn to use the Mirror Test. When we make a face, we can actually feel our muscles moving. To make a scared face, try to pull your eyebrows together and make your neck feel tight. To make a surprised face, just pop your eyes open and let your jaw drop down. Practice makes you a better 'Face Detective' because you learn how those feelings feel on your own skin!