Social relations
Vn103.1 Reprise 10/15/77 As we have attempted reducing Miriam’s cortisone dosage, she has again begun wheezing severely. Her problem was especially unfortunate today, for she had asked a friend to come visit. Lizzie is an energetic red-haired colleen of 6. At lunch she disclosed to Miriam and Robby all the problems they could expect with …
Vn102.1 The Last Day 10/8/77 Both children and I had planned to spend another Saturday afternoon at the movies. For the past three weeks, we have spent our Saturdays watching Marx brothers movies (cf. Vignette 93). These last two weeks we have seen A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races; Animal …
Vn100.1 Arithmetic Ripples 9/26/77-10/2&7/77 9/26 Miriam tells me today was her first day of doing math at school. “But we did it differently there from what we [she and I] did here.” She explained that school math was playing with cuisiniere rods. I told her I thought that was great, and asked what she did …
Vn99.1 Puns 9/26/77 At a recent visit to the library, Robby borrowed two books which both he andMiriam have read and re-read since then (cf. Vignettes 84 and 94). The first book is one of Knock-knock jokes, the second is one of riddles. I believe this second book broadened Miriam’s view of making jokes and …
Vn97.1 Retrospective: Logo Conference 10/1/77 The week of IJCAI, August 22-26, concluding as it did for some of us with attendance at the Logo conference, was an especially busy one for me. I can see now this was the point at which I lost control of processing the data of the project “on line” (keeping …
Vn95.1 Why the Project is Ending Now 9/18 & 27/77 9/18 Miriam has expressed her desire to do the same work as her class- mates, her preference for doing the whatever ‘math’ they will do at school to learning the kind of math we do together. I take this prefer- ence as a strong commitment …
Vn94.1 Miscellany 9/dd/17 At lunch today a variety of topics came up for discussion. Miriam said she would like to bring her friends over to visit Logo. I thought of previous visits. “You mean something like the earlier visits of Meg and Dara?” Miriam added, “I want Michelle and Laurie Ann and Elizabeth.” I asked …
Vn93.1 Marx Brothers 9/17/77 About a week or two ago, a radio program I sometimes listen to was displaced by a series of recordings played in memory of the then just dead Groucho Marx. I had to explain this to Robby and Miriam, explain that the funny little man they had seen on TV in …
Vn92.1 Company for Dinner 9/14/77 This has been a week for company at our house. Fernando Curado and José Valente first, then Bertrand Schwartz and Antoinette together with Laurie Miller, and this evening Seymour and the Minskys. My intention in asking Marvin and Gloria here at this time was to provide a sense of setting …
Vn90.1 Meeting Miriam’s Teacher 9/11-12/77 9/11 This Sunday morning, Miriam inquired of me if I knew what kind of a teacher she had. When I admitted I did not, she continued: Miriam Nice. She says if the math problems are too easy, I won’t have to do them. Bob What will you do instead? Miriam …
Vn87.1 Turtle Tactics 9/7/77 This night is the last of summer, so defined by the children’s beginning school on the morrow. Over this summer they have gradually become accustomed to going to bed late, and now, in order to rise early, they should go to bed early. No one found this argument convincing. We negotiated …
Vn84.1 Go Cart Demon; Knock-Knock Jokes 9/5/77 The third-floor tenant in our landlord’s mansion was moving out today. Robby and Miriam went to help. One comment of Miriam’s came floating up from the court yard. When she chanced upon a collection of records brought down in a wooden case, Miriam said, “Hey, Robby, let’s ask …
Vn82.1 Hanging Designs 9/3/77 After today’s session was complete, I asked Miriam why she had not pinned on the wall — as she had said she intended — those designs made in yesterday’s session (Logo 58, 9/2/77). She explained that she had started to do so earlier but needed help. I separated the designs from …
Vn81.1 Imitating Machines 9/3/77 Ever since their first encounter with the Votrax Voice Box back in May (Logo Session 5, 5/22/77), both children have thought it funny to imitate the peculiarly mechanical tone of that speech generator. I have suspected some correlation between my asking them questions they consider stupid and their adopting this mode …
Vn80.1 Planning for School 9/2/77 Miriam, showing her unprompted concern, began the following dialogue. I transcribed it from memory (not tape) about 2 hours after the fact. The content is accurate, though the sequence of points may be a bit muddled. Miriam What do you think the teacher will say when she finds out I …
Vn79.1 Sums Over a Hundred 8/29/77-9/1/77 8/29 While we sat at lunch today, Miriam introduced the topic of adding with this claim: “Daddy, if you live for another hundred years, I know how old you’ll be.” When I expressed surprise Miriam demonstrated: “A hundred 37.” Two complications derailed this discussion. Robby introduced my birth on …
Vn78.1 Allergies Controlled 8/26/77-9/2/77 8/26 Today we took Miriam to her doctor, a pediatric allergist, and explained both her symptoms (waking in the middle of the night, wheezing, coughing, and vomiting) and our own sense of their severity (it has been happening regularly; Miriam has had only 2 uninterrupted nights of sleep since our return …
Vn77.1 A Geometric Puzzle 8/29 & 31/77 8/29 Since Miriam’s completion of our work with picture puzzles (cf. Logo Session 40, 8/1/77), it has been my intention to examine her performance with geometric puzzles. In the past, she has played with a puzzle, the Pythagorean puzzle, which I had made from wood. The Pythagorean puzzle …
Vn76.1 Where Do Ideas Come From? 8/29/77 In this hot, humid weather, Gretchen and the children have been spending all day at Logo with me. This morning I found Sylvia Weir had taken a desk in the room where Robby had just laid claim to an empty desk. She seemed intent on reading, and knowing …
Vn74.1 The Light Brigade 8/27/77 Miriam, Robby, and I watched on TV this evening a movie about ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade.’ The movie was an important one for several reasons. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I try to lead the children in extending their sense of connection to other places and other times. …
Vn73.1 Not Being Ready; Logo vs. School 8/26/77 For the past week Miriam has been mentioning that she doesn’t ‘feel ready for school.’ I’ve tried to find out what Miriam means by her feeling ‘not-ready.’ In one case, she explained to me that she didn’t know what they do there. In another incident, at the …
Vn71.1 Tic Tac Toe (7) 8/25/77 This material provides Miriam with an opportunity to exhibit what she retained of instruction in the previous tic-tac-toe session (cf. vignette 61, 8/10/77). Where Miriam fails to elect a winning strategy (game 3), I subsequently demonstrate how she should have played, then provide the opportunity for her to turn …
Vn69.1 Chatterbox 8/19/77 In Vignette 3, I noted one of my objectives was to render Miriam more willing to reveal her thoughts than was formerly the case. Such a change has gradually but very definitely taken place. Gretchen now complains that Miriam is never quiet, that she talks about every least action she undertakes; for …
Vn68.1 Continuous Quantity 8/18/77 As is the case with many who have a few fine things, we hardly ever use them. Our silver and china are in some dark corner, our Venetian glassware sits empty, hardly touched. At dinner our common wine goes into common wine glasses. Through accidents at table and sink, the usable …
Vn66.1 Pre-History 8/16/77 For some unknown reason (“I just wondered,” she says), Miriam asked me who was the first person to sail around the world. Remembering the Straits of Magellan and that it must have been the major obstacle to the western passage, I speculated that Magellan must have been the man. Gretchen, drawing on …
Vn63.1 Another Birthday Party 8/12/77 This was a party for Robby’s Boston friends, boys he has met while at school here. With respect to planning, this party was pretty much a rerun of the party in Guilford (cf. Vignette 53). The party favors were the same: Hershey bars, bubble gum, and balloons. Match box racers …
Vn62.1 Multiplication 8/7 & 11/77 8/7 Robby has many times now seen Miriam on my lap receiving some instruction in addition. Complaining of feeling left out, he has asked for help in math. Robby said he needs help with addition of numbers such as 9 plus 6 and 8 plus 7. I found him a …
Vn61.1 Tic Tac Toe (5) 8/10/77 This material shows Miriam accepting instruction at corner opening play through a process of “turning the tables” on me after my exemplary victory. (The data were transcribed as Home Session 15.) A corner opening in tic-tac-toe is the strategy of choice, since its use nearly guarantees victory for the …
Vn60.1 Surprise Party 8/8/77 Spoiled by living in the air-conditioned comfort of our Connecticut home during the mid-July heat wave, when the next spell of hot weather found us in the hot air heated loft of our Boston carriage house little persuading was needed to induce Gretchen to join Miriam and me at Logo yesterday. …
Vn59.1 Air Conditioning 8/6-11/77 8/6 Logo came into our conversations twice this day at lunch. When asked if she knew what a palindrome was (cf. Logo Session 39, 7/15/77), Miriam offered two examples: ‘mom’ and ‘I’ (I checked that she did not mean the word ‘eye.’) Miriam later said she would like to sleep at …
Vn58.1 Owning an Angle 8/4/77 As far back as the end of June (in Logo Session 32) making hexagonal mazes has been a part of both children’s Logo work. Before our Connecticut vacation both children worked together generating pictures of mazes (7/8/77: Logo Session 36). During that session, Miriam “discovered” the 60 degree angle input …
Vn57.1 Desserts 8/3/77 When I was a small child, there was rarely dessert in my house. On special occasions my mother might make some rice pudding or tapioca (when cooked, the large size tapioca became transparent balls we children pretended were the eyes of frogs). When my children pester after every meal for dessert, I …
Vn55.1 About Taxes 8/1/77 Since the beginning of the High School Studies Program, the children and I have come to Logo to use the system from 8 to 10 am. One consequence is that we occasionally skip breakfast. Even when we do not, the children have become accustomed to mid-morning snacks. The favorite: apple pie …
Vn53.1 A Birthday Party 7/28/77 Robby’s birthday comes in August. Connecticut friends whom he would like to have at a party can not come to Boston. When he suggested an early party during our vacation, we agreed. Preparations for the party focused on choosing activities and procuring treats and prizes. If you have ‘prizes’ at …
Vn52.1 Fort Griswold 7/26/77 From many places in Boston when you look to the north you can see the obelisk on Bunker Hill rising above the buildings of Charlestown. There is a similar but smaller monument in Connecticut, at the site of the lone major battle of the Revolutionary War that took place in that …
Vn51.1 Paper Ships 7/25/77 This has been a rainy, midsummer day with both children at home in an acoustically live house. Having slept ill last night, under pressure of the noise and our common confinement, I went to bed early. When the children failed to fall silent instantly, I “yelled” at them, i.e. I told …
Vn50.1 The Go-Cart 7/25/77 Kept inside on a rainy day and with me working in the living room, Robby and Miriam were constrained to play quietly (more or less) in the kitchen-dining area of our Connecticut house. Since we vacationed in an unfurnished house, they had few of their usual toys and a limited selection …
Vn45.1 Going Home 7/15/77 When today’s Logo Session (#39) and errands were finished, we hurried home to pack up provisions for a 2 week vacation in Connecticut. The house is empty between tenants, and since we are renting it unfurnished, it IS empty. What did the children expect of this vacation? What did they look …
Vn44.1 A Boring Session 7/12/77 Riding home after this morning’s session (Logo Session 38) Miriam said she thought the work was boring today. When I asked why, she said, “Oh, I don’t know.” I have to look otherwheres for an explanation. Today I tried to exhibit for Miriam the relation between closed polygons and in-going …
Vn42.1 7/6/77 Because the High School Studies Program begins next week and the lab will be filled with teenagers all day every day, we moved into my office the equipment not to be used by the high school students: the slot machine, the floor turtle, and the music box. Since moving things around brings change …
Vn41.1 7/5-7/77 Whenever we ride to Logo in the MG, Miriam has a standing request that we follow Memorial Drive down past the underpass at Massachusetts Avenue. The children like the magnification of their voices provided when they shout in a closed place. Over the past several years, we have agreed that they may do …
3V0398.03 First introduction to pictures of herself. (3/01/79) Late February – Pictures and Names (a reconstruction) Carrying Peggy back from the balcony, when she pointed to some pictures and requested them, I turned Peggy to pictures of her hanging above the balcony entry. I was trying to distract her attention to pictures beyond her easy …
3V0398.02 Identifying toys and pictures of foxes; classification possible insight; (nominal date 2/28/79 added) Late February – Foxes: (a reconstruction) Before videotape session P57 (a day or two before) Gretchen sat with Peggy on the couch in the living room. Gretchen was ‘reading’ Baby Animals. Peggy pointed at the Fox on the cover and said …
3V0398.01 Shaping and imitation (2/24/79) Perhaps two weeks ago, Peggy had a cookie. In the process of consumption, a rather large piece was broken off and dropped. I retrieved it for her and handed it back. she took this piece in her free hand and immediately tried to match it to the main body of …
3V0387.01 Peggy varying elements of a transient game; like phrases 2/13/79 Wooba wooba — Peggy hates to have her face washed or her nose wiped. But she does like to take things out of my shirt pockets. Her usual pocket-picking targets are pens or pipe stems. Today, with my having two shirt pockets, she discovered …
3V0385.01 Peggy’s nose; two element phrase from idiom variation 2/11/79 Peggy sat on my lap, and Miriam, feeling left out, demanded the same privilege. Gretchen has been naming face parts with Peggy for months and Peggy cooperates by reaching out to touch her nose when Gretchen asks, “Where’s my nose?” Miriam asked, “Peggy, where’s my …
3V0384.03 Salience of her name in her interpretations; vocative “dada” 2/10/79 Peggy will respond to a voice calling with an intonation like that used in calling her name. Evidence of her understanding names can be [of] other sorts. The rare example from P53 [Egg Peggy] is one strong sign that her own name is a …
3V0384.01 More verbal specificity; productive uses of signifiers 2/10/79 Returning from a three day trip to Boston, I have Peggy in my lap more than usual. At one point, she indicated she wanted Miriam’s belt which lay near by on the floor: /zIt//zIt/. I gave it to her. Peggy chewed it over, and because I …
3V0380.01 Need for specificity expands repertoire of signifiers 2/6/79 Peggy drives [us] to distraction. A few weeks ago when her talk was all /[th]aet/[th]aet/ and her pointing restricted to pictures, the talk was endurable, but now that it is coupled with specific objectives Gretchen and I are subject to streams of /[th]aet/ and /hae/[th]aet/ and …
3V0377.01 Neat phenomena and instruction: An Ale Bottle — (2/03/79) Peggy has long had the habit of carrying ale bottle. We separate glass trash for recycling and Peggy has long been able to careen over in her walker, select one she likes, and continue charging about the ground floor waving her prize. She usually puts …