3V0865.1

3V0865.01 Counting with Mimi: alternate counting game (6/5/80) Miriam announced a game she and Peggy have been playing – a game of alternate counting. Miriam and Peg count alternately: M1, P2, M3, P4, M5, P6, M7, P7, M8, P9, M10, P11, M12, P12 6/8 note: Peg fast count from 4-11 by herself in the other …

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3V0864.1

3V0864.01 More on aspect: peculiar verbs (6/4/80) /In the note of 5/23/80, I remarked on Peggy’s use of “did” to specify what is probably aspect. Another example occurred today where Peggy on Miriam’s being away from home [sic]. I believe I asked her where Miriam was. She responded (and I remember this precisely, “Mimi’s gone. …

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3V0862.2

3V0862.02 Beginning reading: reading from Puppies book (6/2/80) reconstructed from a journal entry of 6/2/80 ) When Peggy offered to read to me (“Daddy, I read you”), I joined her on the floor. Her specific reconstruction of three pages via pictures were these: TERRIERS: “Once a morning, puppy want a dig a hole (this reflects …

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3V0862.1

3V0862.01 Roots of reading (6/2/80) Peggy has started reading to us. It began last night when I came to bed and found Peggy reading a Tintin book to herself. She offered to read to me, open[ed] to the first page and began: “once a morning, a ship (was) in the water…” then closed the book …

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3V0856.2

3V0856.02 Need to document funny reasons: we should do this (5/27/80) After we had just put up some screen doors, in a context I no longer recall, I asked Peggy why she had closed the screen door. She replied, “Hard…other side open.” This is not a good example of anything — but it does point …

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3V0856.1

3V0856.01 Anticipating trouble; the unusual is forbidden (5/27/80) Miriam and Peggy were outside. Miriam wanted to go down to the beach without her sister, so she told Peggy that “Mommy wants to speak to you. Peggy headed inside remarking, “Am I in trouble?” Peggy was pestering me mildly as I sat at the table, so …

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3V0852.1

3V0852.01 Verbal aspect: self correction I do -> I did (5/23/80) Peggy has been to the beach with Gretchen. Returning from Boston, I heard of Peggy falling down in the water and began to talk about it with her: Bob: You fell ? Peggy: I fall in water. Bob: You do ? Peggy: (correcting me!): …

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3V0851.2

3V0851.02 Lonely discovery: another micro-script {This little piggy…] (5/22/80) Upon awakening late this morning, I could hear Peggy through the partition separating our rooms, talking to herself. She said, “This little piggy…wee wee home.” We have recited this game for Peggy for some while (and Gretchen did so when Putting Peggy to bed last night). …

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3V0851.1

3V0851.01 Inappropriate color names: red and blue are green also (5/22/80) Peggy is sensitive to color as an important descriptor. She interprets color names as such and uses them in her speech — but the application is all wrong. Her favorite color term is green — she applies it generally (and with no obvious uneasiness) …

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3V0846.2

3V0846.02 Directed speech: Peggy in multiple roles and reading (5/17/80) Peggy found the other day a toy candy dispenser with a rabbit head on top. Today she sat on the floor, playing with it and reading the Britannica ‘Thinking’ book. She asked the rabbit: Peggy: Wanta read it to me rabbit ? Rabbit: That’s a …

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3V0840.1

3V0840.01 Using “then”: example of suitable temporal conjunction (5/11/80) This is a lost example. I can no longer recall precisely what Peggy said, but the import remains to me. She connected two sentences together with “then” explaining to me some earlier action of hers. It was a clear case of suitable temporal conjunction — a …

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3V0839.1

3V0839.01 Assimilation example: dragon/’snake’ (5/10/80) Miriam brought home from the library a recording of “The Hobbit.” Pictured on the cover is the dragon, ‘Smaug’ (as Tolkein notes, a “low gothic joke.,” the past participle of “smugen” to extrude from or through a hole). No one, I believe, has even mentioned dragons to Peggy and no …

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3V0836.1

3V0836.01 Imitation of role: (bob in chair, chasing away kids) (5/7/80) Peggy was sitting in Bob’s big recliner, reading. When Miriam came along, Peggy said to her, “Go away, Mimi… I trying to work.” At about the same period or slightly later, she chased Robby out of that same chair, telling him to leave because …

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3V0833.1

3V0833.01 “Meaning”: asking about unknown references (5/4/80) Peggy has begun to inquire about what some incomprehensible utterance means. At supper this evening, we were discussing my next trip to Boston (Peggy is beginning to claim she should come along.) When, among familiar words, I mentioned going to “Logo”, Peggy immediately asked, “What meaning ‘Logo’?” Gretchen …

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3V0831.1

3V0831.01 Names as unique identifiers: Rob is a person; she is a toddler, not a person. (5/2/80) Peggy has two toys, a dog and a cat, which were once containers of bubble bath. The blue cat she refers to as “kitty.” The pink poodle she formerly referred to as a dog. Recently I told her …

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3V0827.1

3V0827.01 Reading: naming and describing (4/28/80) When Peggy reads pictures, she primarily identifies, i.e. names the characters. Thus in Richard Scary’s books, she might exclaim, “There’s lowly worm.” Encountering some rarer figure, she asks “Who’s that?” Beyond naming, Peggy has begun to go on to interpretation of the pictures, describing what the character is doing.

3V0819.1

3V0819.01 Progressive Verbs (4/20/80) Peggy has used present participles as progressive verb forms in a descriptive mode (as on last page). In two incidents, the context makes clear her richer semantic framework served by those forms. Yesterday I sat on the front stoop. Peggy came up the path and before reaching the stairs said to …

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3V0813.1

3V0813.01 Why because! (4/14/80) Peggy has been driving us crazy with her “why?” queries (I am much more aware of this than I was with the two earlier children). Her use of the question is at least twofold (see also 4/12/80 entry), as conversation continuer and as argument. By continuer, I mean Peggy uses “why” …

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3V0811.2

3V0811.02 ‘That’s what’ — a microscript (4/12/80) Peggy’s “Why?” question — which has come to follow our every utterance to her — has become quite annoying. Sometimes we ignore her question, treating it as an annoyance. Other reactions of ours, similar in kind, are “because I told you to” or in truncated form “because…” Outside, …

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3V0805.1

3V0805.01 Language as formulating experience (Eavesdropping) (4/6/80) Peggy wakes early. As I brought some morning coffee to Gretchen, I heard Peggy talking in the crib (through the wall) “Look at the spider, swinging…swinging…” Why is this significant ? Language as formulation of experience, expressing the flow of understanding without communicative intention; fluency as delineating the …

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3V0804.1

3V0804.01 Directed speech (4/5/80) I consider the appearance of this phenomenon one of the most striking evidences of the elevation of control. Several days ago, Peggy approached me with her favorite toy, “Bear Hug.” She said to me, “Say ‘Hi bear’.” I did as she asked. This was repeated a few times, with Scurry as …

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3V0803.1

3V0803.01 Agent, patient, and word order: [Peggy hurt — ] (4/4/80 or earlier) Miriam sat by the stove, reviewing her multiplication flash cards. Peggy, Mad at her for some reasons, hit at Miriam and hurt herself by striking the flash cards. She cried, “Mimi hurt Peggy !” Miriam corrected her, “No. You did it yourself. …

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3V0788.2

3V0788.02 Peggy love bear — any way will do (3/20/80) So Peggy began a conversation. I repeated, “Peggy love bear?” . P: Right , she replied.. B. “Bear love Peggy, ” I continued. P. “Right.” (again). B. Finally “Love Bear Peggy ?” I asked . P: “OK, ” agreed Peggy.

3V0781.1

3V0781.01 “Peggy Lawler” – what symbols mean to her (3/13/80) Ever since Miriam’s gift of the Grover Book (wherein she wrote PEGGY LAWLER on the inside cover to show ownership), Peggy has interpreted any group of letters as meaning “Peggy Lawler.” She distinguishes (more or less) between four things: letters, seen as individuals; pictures in …

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3V0777.1

3V0777.01 Analogies — their incomprehension; deep role in cognition. (3/9/80) Peggy woke me at midnight, she had a stuffy nose and was crying for her Mommy. we played in the sitting room, she in my lap. Pointing to a foxy, she said ‘Get foxy.’ I replied ‘Too far away.’ She continued ‘Like a fader.’ Surprised, …

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3V0775.3

3V0775.03 Who’s that? — syngnostic use (3/7780) Peggy does not distinguish Who and What. consequently, when requesting the name of an object she asks, ‘Who’s that?’ Today she held up a toy, plastic doll and asked “Who’s that?” “You mean your dolly?’ I responded. She then became more specific, pointing with her finger on the …

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3V0775.2

3V0775.02 Repetition and further specification (3/7/80) Gretchen mentioned hearing Peggy do a most interesting thing : she first said, ‘ Lookit table.’ then immediately ‘repeated’ the phrase more precisely as ‘Look at the table.’ This is an example of the incremental standardization of speech production under her own direction (this may be well compared to …

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3V0774.1

3V0774.01 Jokes as communication protocols (3/6/80) Miriam has been telling (surely in Peggy’s hearing) a knock-knock : M : Knock knock. V : Who’s there ? M : Tim. V : Tim who ? M : Tim – ber ! At supper this evening, Peggy said : P : knock knock. B : Who’s there …

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3V0769.1

3V0769.01 Miriam’s Pillow; idea: function words as pause fillers (3/1/80) Because in the worst periods of her allergies, Miriam slept better sitting up, we bought her a king sized pillow. It is longer than Peggy is tall and wider. Thus Peggy finds it perfect for falling on. Miriam tried to take it away while Peggy …

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3V0767.1

3V0767.01 Don’t rub your eyes”; imitation as analysis by synthesis (2/28/80) So, Gretchen reminded me. I sat in my chair with Peggy and one of her books on my lap. (My eyes get itchy from allergic reactions and I rub them excessively, almost without noticing). Peggy turned, looked at me (after I had stopped) and …

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3V0749.1

3V0749.01 Words and Numbers; primary roots of discrimination (2/10/80) Miriam and Peggy play with my yardstick a lot (a free one from a local hardware store, it has the measure and advertisements on it). Miriam marches around with it on her shoulder: “hup, two, three, four; hup…” Peggy marches too, “hup, two, three; hup, two, …

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3V0747.3

3V0747.03 Number/temporal names (2/8/80) Miriam tells me she has asked Peggy the time and Peggy responded “eleven.” The answer was not correct but was significant as a number name. Peggy may have been imitating a specific response heard from some one else in response to the same question. Miriam asked again of Peggy, in my …

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3V0747.2

3V0747.02 Pause deletion in practice (2/8/80) Peggy plays with a knitted pocket book belonging to her sister Miriam. She walked past my place at the table, talking to herself: Mimi…pocket-book… Mimi pocket-book.” This example argues that Peggy is constructing compact phrases “purposefully” by deleting pauses which occur naturally in a “commentary” mode of expression wherein …

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3V0743.2

3V0743.02 More already compacted phrases; an invention (2/4/80) Peggy drinks a lot of juice, and it’s not surprising that she should produce a two-element phrase such as “good juice.” One could argue this was purely imitative by her merely taking cognizance of part of the question she heard frequently, “Is that good juice?/Is that good …

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3V0736.1

3V0736.01 [pick oo up] (1/28/80) Peggy has begun to say “Pick oo up” instead of or in addition to just “up.” Over the subsequent days, victim of a bad cold, Peggy used this phrase constantly. Recently Bob noted that he heard her say ”Pick up.” dropping out the “oo” [you]. Peggy probably developed this phrase …

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3V0733.3

3V7033.03 More variations and pause deletions; noun-noun structure (1/25/80) Peggy, Gretchen, and I drove over to Clinton to retrieve Scurry from the kennel. As we rode along, I tried explaining my views of the importance of Peggy’s variations and pause deletions. Peggy was more interested in my furry gloves. She asked for them (they were …

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3V0729.1

3V0729.01 [bye, X] -> [bye chair]…[bye table]…[by stairs]…(as bedroom entered) [bye bed] [bye culdy]…bye Robby… bye Mimi…(bob, from afar, “what about daddy?”) bye daddy] [bye house…bye car…bye trees…bye house (a neighbor, the car now moving) Going upstairs to have her diapers changed, Peggy recited a litany as we passed.

3V0728.3

3V0728.03 [take X] Central note on syntax development: Anchored on verb “take”; following agent is variable. The phrases (sentences) made of two elements; they have internal pauses deleted. (1/20/80) Miriam brought to my attention today what I expect to be primary evidence for the pause deletion development of Peggy’s speech. Miriam reported that Peggy was …

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3V0728.2

3V0728.01 CAUSE – toilet training; cause, agent, effect (1/20/80) We have tried to interest Peggy in using a small toilet. She plays with it, pushing around the house, chasing the dog with it, and so forth – investigating the removable pot and peering at it every which way. Now she knows the clothes come off …

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3V0728.1

3V0728.01 [Robby…lookit] vocative + verb example (plus others) (1/20/80) Another example of a vocative-verb to element structure. Peggy, just now, (1/29/80) came out with another, more directly comparable to ‘Mimi…did-it’), she carried a book to Robby and said ‘Robby, do-it.’

3V0720.2

3V0720.02 [joke… knock-knock]: verbally formulated classification based on a single exemplar. 1/12/80) We all sat at table this evening. Either Gretchen and I teased and all of us laughed, Peggy too. I believe I asked her what she laughs about (the joke was one she could not comprehend). Peggy responded, “joke…” and then continued “knock-knock.” …

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3V0720.1

3V0720.01 [fork…hurts…arm…me]: Peggy’s most complex phrase construction before the upsurge of pause deletion and appearance of anchoring with variation in her verbal productions (1/12/80) Peggy stabbed herself with the tines of a fork. I can’t recall whether she was in her high chair or helping unload the dishwasher, but her words and pauses are certain. …

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3V0719.1

3V0719.01 [gone…room], [found…floor] more examples of loose structures. (1/11/80) [gone…room] Peggy wanted to go out with me. As I stood with my coat on by the door, I asked, “Where’s your coat ?” Peggy responded, “Gone…room.” She then ran into the living room (which she refers to as “room” and returned with her coat.. [Found… …

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3V0718.1

3V0718.01 Who’s there ? (Original notes on homely binding and lonely discovery) (1/10/80) Peggy’s use of the knock-knock joke script has been monolithic — ie. she would not respond in the victim’s role, nor would she continue in any way no matter what response her victim made. This morning, when I brought some coffee to …

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3V0714.1

3V0714.01 [own stool… on it] Example of two loosely joined tight substructures: needed descriptions of cross level tightness of binding. (1/6/80) Miriam cooked soup at the stove and Peggy wanted to see. Miriam offered the use of her small red stool, one of two. Peggy chose to get the second, put it next to Miriam, …

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3V0709.2

3V0709.02 [Mimi did it…Peggy’s] Good example; issues important; developing a vocabulary to describe observed phenomena. (1/1/80) The situation to which the locution applies was Miriam’s making a wrapped package, a present, and giving it to Peg. Peggy brought it to me to show. what is significant here is the pause/connected structure of the phrasing. There …

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3V0706.3

3V0706.03 [fork!…for-me]: example of bound preposition (12/29/79) Peggy sat in her high chair. Miriam had made an open faced cheese sandwich and given two pieces to Peggy. It is our custom to eat such fare with our fingers. Peggy had put her fork on the table beyond immediate reach. Other of us ate food with …

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3V0706.2

3V0706.02 Puppy in Boston: default location of “gone” animate things (12/29/79) Over the past several weeks, Peggy has often given evidence of distinguishing between the sound of a bark and the word as the name of the sound. One of the puzzles Peggy received for Christmas was a five piece Puppy puzzle. Peggy came crawling …

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3V0706.1

3V0706.01 Knock knock jokes: story used in ACR chapter of CECD. (12/29/79) Jokes have been much in the air lately. I’ve worked on OCL: Inventing Jokes. Miriam made me a joke book as a Christmas present. Peggy has begun telling knock-knock jokes, apparently in imitation (without instruction): Peggy: knock-knock ? Victim: Who’s there ? Peggy: …

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3V0701.1

3V0701.01 [Mine…Peggy…Peggy’s…back]:clear use of a possessive, but one where syntactic structure is decidedly subordinate to the context; Peggy’s picture (12/24/79) I bought some Polaroid film the other day and today had taken a picture of Peggy sitting with me in my chair. I set it on the piano to develop completely. when her image appeared, …

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