Evaluation
3V111501 Metalinguisticc questions: “How do you spell —– ?” (2/10/81) I was doing some work in the kitchen when Peggy came up and asked right out of the blue, ‘How do you spell cup ?’ then she went through a whole string of words one after another, and ‘How do you spell eyes ?’ ‘How …
3V1109.02 Trip to Logo: typical stories (2/14-15/81) Peggy, Robby and I went to MIT after story hour. Danny Moore came to the lab late in the afternoon and I tended Peggy while Robby played with him. What I recall of this time is that Peggy and I went to DSRE for my Spencer Foundation letter, …
3V1109.01 Peer avoidance at story hour (2/4/81) The story hour began later than Crafts. I took Peggy to the first session, since we were departing from there directly to Boston. We arrived late and Peggy was unwilling to join the other children. So I sat on the floor near them while Debbie Rutter told stories, …
3V1105.04 Generalized arguments to avoid rejection: [some little kids like candy.] (late January 1981) For some months now, Peggy has shown a semantically unusual usage. She typically uses “somebody”, “some kids”, “some people” as ways of indirectly expressing her feelings — especially in situations where she may be unsure that a request for something will …
3V1105.03 Meta-cognitive observations: [I think my jokes are funny.] (late January) We were driving east on route 1, near Moose Hill Manor. Seeing the ponies of the Diamond M Ranch, Peggy remarked, ‘I want to ride one of those every day.’ I turned to her with shocked surprise, ‘Every day?’ Peggy smiled, ‘I think my …
3V1105.02 What we observe is not what she intends [Woodstock is patting his tail with the monsters.] (1/31/81) ‘Patting’ is an activity that Peggy knows a lot about. Scurry is her close friend and she pats Scurry every day. She is, in fact, merciless in expressing her affection for the dog who gets no peace …
3V1104.02 Solla Sollew: just how long is the title ? (1/30(81) Peggy came to me and asked, ‘Will you read this book (in her hand) about Solla Sollew…(pause) on the banks of the beautiful river Wahoo… where they never have troubles…or at least very few. (Bob suggests she may think this entire spiel is the …
3V1104.01 “Gepeters” [computers]: incremental lexicon standardization (1/30/81) Peggy wants to go to Logo (whatever that means to her) and also asked if she ‘could play with the gepeters at Logo.’ Later, her use slipped into the standard form by first appearing a ‘geputers’ then as ‘computers.’
3V1103.01 Peer interactions (1/29/81) When Peggy was too late to b e enrolled in the North Guilford Nursery School, Gretchen enrolled her in two pre-school library activities. I took Peggy down to the second crafts session, and Miriam asked if she could come. Peggy had a good time at the library but with respect to …
3V1102.01 Playing with toys: using animals as manipulatable actors (1/28(81) Recently Peggy has frequently climbed on my lap after dinner, bringing a small collection of animal toys with her. Frequently the horses (Calico and Blue Mane) and Gretchen’s old rabbit and mouse are the main actors. Peggy takes one animal and gives me another, e.g., …
3V1100.01 What words mean: example: graphics mean the name of the thing (1/26/81) After concluding an experiment (P157 I believe), Peggy touched the camera now back in its case. Pointing to the words on the camera she said, ‘I know what this says.’ ‘What,’ I asked. ‘Camera,’ she replied. This is a second example (see …
3V1096.01 Time sensitivity: When vs. Before (1/22/81) Miriam and I got back from Boston around 9 pm. We emptied the car, got off our coats, and all that. I talked with Peggy a while and she told me of her activities earlier in the day. I can’t recall the specific activity, but at one point …
3V1093.02 Analogy question: [do you ever peel oranges like apples ?] (1/20/81) Peggy spontaneously asked me “Do you ever peel oranges with a peeler, like apples?” When I understood, I replied, “No.” She continued, “You cut them open with knifses?”
3V1093.01 Games: (with doll) this little pig went to market (1/19/81) Peggy was holding a doll (the bath one) and I became aware that she was feeling the toes, in order, and playing “This little pig went to market.” Gretchen
3V1091.01 Breaking up an idiomatic expression: [By Beatrix Potter] (1/17/81) Peggy brought “Peter Rabbit” and “The Flopsy bunnies” to my lap. As I have read them to her in the past, I have moved my finger along the title. Earlier (1/26/80) Peggy recognized “by” in two books as being “the same.” Here when I finished …
3V1089.03 A trick on Robby (1/15/81) Peggy was sitting in the big chair with Bob when Robby walked in and sat down on the other chair. Peggy suddenly said to him (for no known reason) “I throwed up on the furniture.” Robby looked startled and prepared to leap up, before he realized it was a …
3V1089.02 Thursday question about experiment on Sunday (1/15/81) When we do the experiment [Sunday] will we play with blocks?” Gretchen
3V108702 Can I read that after you ?” (1/13/81) Miriam was reading a Lucky Luke that Peggy wanted. Peggy asked, “Can I read that after you?” Apropos of something, Peggy remarked, “Robby’s going to come home and be mad. He will take it away and put it back.” Gretchen
3V1087.01 Trip to North Guilford Nursery School (1/13/81) Peggy, Miriam and I drove up to the North Guilford Nursery School to register Peggy for the fall. They have no space for her now. We stood in the hall a few moments waiting for Libby Hollingsworth. Peggy decided to take off her coat and boots. We …
3V1085.02 Context and two more sentences: [(Negotiating for a cookie. Hiccup). Can I have some ? Hiccups make me hungry.] (1/11/81) Peggy, wanting chocolate chips, asked Robby for some. He refused. She hiccuped then and asked again, “Can I have some ? Hiccups make me hungry.” What does one make of this ? Cause ? …
3V1084.01 Counting Irregularities (1/10/81) Peggy “counts,” ie. recites the number names in a quasi-standard fashion. (omitting “seven” more often than including it.) Although she has put objects in one to one correspondence, she has not done so successfully in the standard sense. She counted on her fingers today showing no non-standard variations. First she counted …
3V1077.01 Two Related Sentences (1/3/81) Peggy has proved her good control of her toilet use. She has been happy to empty her potty into the toilet. When she defecates, she is able and happy to wipe herself but she does NOT like to empty the shit into the toilet. Today she said, “I don’t want …
3V1076.02 Counting Popsicle Sticks: pauses/errors in sequences (1/2/81) Peggy had some in one hand and started transferring them to the other and counted them: “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (dropped some).” Picking up the sticks, Peg counted again, “1, 2, 3, , 5, 6, 8…” and then recounted again and again.
3V1076.01 Puzzles at the Library (1/2/81) Peggy joined me at the library. After my books were found, we waited for Gretchen in the Children’s section. I read, keeping my eye on Peggy. She climbed up on the large, raised pedestal and walked around the Christmas tree. She came to some puzzles especially made for children …
3V1074.01 Counting: for hide and seek (12/31/80) Peggy was playing hide and seek with Robby. He was “it” and after finding her [she didn’t really hide, but stood in another room ready to laugh when he appeared] told her to go into the end of the kitchen (by the basement) and hide her face while …
3V1073.01 Preposition discrimination: “OUT” and “OF” (12/30/80) Peggy came to Boston with Miriam and me. Overnight, she slept on a sleeping bag, surrounded by her crib bumper — and with her own pillow and afghans for covers. Awakening as Miriam did, she stood up and said “I have to get OUT of my bed. Mimi …
3V1072.01 Trying to wake up Robby. (12/29/80) Everyone got up early to get Bob, Peggy, and Miriam off to Boston. Robby was still in bed, so Peg went in and called to him “Wake up Robby. time to get up.” Then she came out to the sitting room and said to me, “I woke him …
3V1071.07 Confronting the illogical: “I’m not here.” (12/28/80) This evening, I retreated upstairs to write while Gretchen read a large collection of library books to Peggy. Later, Peggy called to me “Dad…Are you up there ?” I replied “No. I’m not here.” I heard Peggy go into the living room to look for me there …
3V1071.05 Holophrastic verbs; also pretending to sleep (12/28/80) (See also under 12/1, 11/20; 11/22; and 12/9; 12/6) Down watching TV on 12/23, Peggy on Bob’s lap. “Snuggle.” Other times, lying down and closing her eyes, “Sleep.” Gretchen
3V1071.04 Diminutives: bookie, cribbie, handie (12/28/80) Bookie (above) Cribie (“I don’t want to go into my cribie.”) Handie Lately, Peggy has been using a diminutive in what seems like every sentence. Gretchen
3V1071.03 Sentences in juxtapositions with implications: [I won’t be hungry any more. The raisens box.] (12/28/80) As I closed the book, Peggy pointed to a white label on the cover. “On the bookie, Mommy.” [I asked,] “Did you put that on there?” [she replied,] “I licked it and I stuck it on it.” As I …
3V1071.02 Self-reference: [I’m feeding me. I won’t be any hungry more.] (12/28/80) Peggy picked up a box of raisins and remarked. “I’m feeding me. II won’t be hungry more.” Gretchen
3V1071.01 Correcting me: example of reasonably mature speech (12/28/80) Peggy sits in the foyer by the stove, talking, reading to herself. When a pause came on her speech, I asked, “Where’s my toddler ?” She corrected me, “I didn’t say toddler,” I said “What’s going on there?” I consider this an example of reasonably mature …
3V1070.01 Counting: scrambled eggs super ? (12/27/80) Reading “Scrambled Eggs Super (Dr. Seuss) one page has a line of birds winding back into the distance over a mountain. Peggy spontaneously started counting, at the beginning of the line, ” 1…2…3…4…5…6…[here the line turned and became less detailed]… many birds.” Gretchen
3V1069.03 Her first orthographic word: “by” (very impt) (12/26/80) Especially as we read the titles of Peggy’s many books, Peggy imitates my pointing to words and saying words. After I read “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” she pointed more or less randomly: “The” (for the tale of); “Tale” (for Peter); “of” (Rabbit) “Peter” (by) (Rabbit” …
3V1069.02 Counting and one-to-one correspondence (12/26/80) Having bought her two of Beatrix Potter’s books for Christmas, I have read them over and over to Peggy. At one point in the story of Peter Rabbit, old Mrs. Rabbit goes to the bakers and buys ‘five current buns.” I decided to see how Peggy would follow or …
3V1069.01 Planning a trip: to B-A-S-T-G-A-K (12/26/80) Peggy wants very much to go along whenever I go to Boston. She loves to travel anywhere beyond the house , and argues she should go and the older children stay home because “Some kids are too little to be left alone.” I hate to let her overhear …
3V1067.01 I wonder I’m hungry”: idioms and structure (12/24/80) In chanting recitations very like “I thought I saw a pussy cat,” Peggy has repeated the phrase above, most as noted but with a few variations, e.g., “I wonder I’m sleepy.” This utterance is noteworthy because it is one with the surface structure of a grammatical …
3V1066.01 Reading letters: new development (12/23/80) Peggy often gives evidence of not distinguishing words from letters. (See especially her play with letters in the past videotaped sessions). Consequently, it was quite surprising today to hear Peggy saying letter names as she poked around in Scurry’s food bag. My best appreciation was that she pointed at …
3V1065.02 “I thought I saw a pussy cat” (12/22/80) Ever since the summer, Peggy has enjoyed watching afternoon cartoons on TV. Her favorite is Tom and Jerry (so much so that she calls the cartoon show by that name). The last day or so she has been driving us crazy by imitating Tweety’s common complaint, …
3V1065.01 Past two months: PUPPY DOG: an invented game/role (12/22) A quick scan of these notes shows no notice taken of something very important to Peggy: she has created a game-role for herself, the character “Puppy Dog.” This began months ago when, playing with Scurry, Peggy fastened the leash to her collar and ran about …
3V1063.02 Reciting number names: varied responses to correction (12/20/80) I drove to New Haven. Miriam and Peggy came along for the ride. On the return trip, Peggy stood behind and between the two front seats of the Saab, holding on and exclaiming amazedly at nearly everything seen. As I drove from I-91 down onto route …
3V1063.01 Hop on Pop: the right phrase; the wrong orthographic order (12/20/80) Peggy brought me this book to read and spontaneously read the title, pointing to each of three words, “Hop on Pop”… Subsequently, (again spontaneously) she read on the title page, “Hop on Pop.” This was most interesting in that she pointed to “Pop”, …
3V1058.01 Counting objects: near standard sequence with omissions (12/13/80) Miriam and Peggy went to visit Mrs. Smith. She keeps toys in her house for children she takes care of. Peggy selected a ring pyramid and Miriam (as she later tells the story) inverted the rings. Peggy began re-stacking the ring and spontaneously reciting number names: …
3V1056.01 Counting objects for herself (12/6/80) What I remember as significant about this episode was Peggy’s putting her fingers and the number names into 1-1 correspondence. Now she can “count” (as documented below) but the limits of her correspondence appears to be TWO. But that fact that she attempts correspondence at all shows a preliminary …
3V1054.01 Generalizations: “nightgowns has no pockets on them” (12/11/80) This evening Peggy came near me, “Nightgowns has no pockets on them,” she said. Looking at my shirt, she continued, “Shirts does but nightgowns never do.”
3V1049.05 More complicated verbs: “could” used correctly () Today for the first time, I heard Peggy use the form “could” correctly. Gretchen
3V1049.04 Letters and words: “P” is no longer /peggi/ by itself (12/8/80) Peggy had me read “Letters, Sound, and Words.” When we came to the page for the initial consonant P, Peggy pointed to it and said “P is the letter in Peggy.” Gretchen
3V1049.03 Holophrastic verbs (12/6/80; see also 12/1, 11/20, 11/22) The most common use is “put” and “take”. Today I scolded Peggy about something minor. Instead of crumpling into tears, Peggy (who was standing beside my chair) merely ducked her head a bit and said “Hide!” Others [heard]: run, run away. Gretchen
3V1049.02 Put Me in the Zoo: tracing words in the title (12/6/80) Peggy has discovered this book and I have read it to her, perhaps half a dozen times at most. When I read the title, I point to each word. Today, Peggy was in my lap requesting I read. She put down the book …