Experimental Ellie

Ellie did a study with the Duke Learning Lab this morning.  It was fascinating (which I have to admit is probably why I signed her up to do it, well that and the free admission to Marbles!)

They were studying how/when children learn how to use tools.  The student warned me that two year olds have not really been able to figure this out and that it really isn't until they are around 4 that they have been successful at completing the task.  So with that they got started.

The lady showed Ellie how to use a tool (she used a ruler) to get a small stuffed animal out of a plexiglass tube (by pushing it from one end out the open end) she then showed Ellie two tools and asked her if she could use them to get the bunny out of the tube.  Ellie said yes!  She grabbed a tool and tried and tried and tried...but the tool didn't work.  They had two similar looking items but one was just stuffed and wouldn't work as a tool, the other was different color and would work.  Ellie eventually got frustrated and declared "I can't do it!" so the lady suggested she keep trying.  With that something sparked and Ellie grabbed the other tool (the red one)- and it worked.  Yay!  So that was cool.

Then the lady let her do it again...and Ellie immediately grabbed the red tool and rescued the bunny.  They did this a few times and she had no problems.  Then they gave her two identical looking tools- Ellie grabbed one and tried it, but it didn't work.  So she switched it immediately and the other worked just fine.  For every trial after that she touched the tool first to see which one would work (she could tell by how hard it was) and rescued the stuffed animal.

It was really cool.  The lady emphasized that she was pretty gifted at this task for a kid her age.  It was a little scary but then I reminded myself that she has no idea what color her shirt is and that kids are gifted in all different ways!  I apologized for providing an outlier to her study (I am a scientist after all) and we were on our way.

What a cool job...to try to figure out how kids learn.  It is so weird and cool and just fascinating.  And the best part of our day? We got to spend the rest of it at Marbles...and Ellie got free admission for her study participation.  

Check out her "E"!