Yesterday Caleb told me that his friend Finnegan said things that weren't true. I was a little concerned and told Caleb that it wasn't nice to say that about his friend and asked if Finnegan had ever had ever told Caleb something that wasn't true (I don't use the word lie because little children still have some difficulty comprehending the implication/magnitude of the concept lie, so we say things like "are you making up a story" or "is that what really happened"). So this is exactly the conversation that followed
Caleb - Finnegan said infinity was the last number, he said his dad could count to infinity.
Carrina - Caleb, do you know what infinity is?
Caleb - It means that the numbers never end they just keep going.
Carrina - Can anyone count to infinity?
Caleb - No, Mama, there is no last number.
Carrina - Caleb, do you know what the word infinite means?
Caleb - That things don't end, they keep going round and round, forever.
Carrina - (sitting in stunned silence for a moment) Caleb, you're a smart boy. Finnegan wasn't trying to tell you something that wasn't true he just misunderstood the word infinity.
How does a little 4 1/2 year old boy, who can barely sit still for a moment, have a basic comprehension of infinity? I so frequently underestimate the capabilities of young children, they absorb so much that we don't even realize. There are even times I think that young children simply have an inherent knowledge of some concepts.
Caleb - Finnegan said infinity was the last number, he said his dad could count to infinity.
Carrina - Caleb, do you know what infinity is?
Caleb - It means that the numbers never end they just keep going.
Carrina - Can anyone count to infinity?
Caleb - No, Mama, there is no last number.
Carrina - Caleb, do you know what the word infinite means?
Caleb - That things don't end, they keep going round and round, forever.
Carrina - (sitting in stunned silence for a moment) Caleb, you're a smart boy. Finnegan wasn't trying to tell you something that wasn't true he just misunderstood the word infinity.
How does a little 4 1/2 year old boy, who can barely sit still for a moment, have a basic comprehension of infinity? I so frequently underestimate the capabilities of young children, they absorb so much that we don't even realize. There are even times I think that young children simply have an inherent knowledge of some concepts.
