3V0975.01 Reading to herself (9/23/80) Peggy has been doing this for quite some time — usually when others are occupied otherwise. Today, in P139, I got her to read to me (which she would never do before). Her “reading” has seemed a reconstruction of recalled dialogue and text mixed with observations of the pictures (or …
3V0974.01 The Pig in the book: what does Peggy mean by what she says? (9/22/80) Peggy was playing with her “happy family” (her Fischer price dolls). I mentioned she had other animals besides the dogs. There was a chicken and, somewhere, a black pig. Peggy pointed to a Richard Scary book and asked, “Can I …
3V0973.02 Letters and Counting (9/21/80) Peggy played with a puzzle, a square 4x with 15 movable slabs in it, each with a number on it from 1 to 15. I asked Peggy what she played with and, when she said it was a present from Robby, asked by pointing to the numbers, “What are those …
3V0973.01 “I found another Mommy-letter” (9/21/80) So Peggy exclaimed, sitting on the piano bench as she held up a letter “C” she found. (Of course, she means it is a “G” which I once told her was the first letter of Gretchen’s name. I can’t escape the strength with which such a simple comment permitted …
3V0971.01 In my lap: repertoire of three character scripts (9/19/80) I have tried to dissuade Peggy from reading all the time. So more lately, she has climbed into my lap with friends, the small bear, the pink panther, “Aroot” her elephant, and the horse Miriam received when she was in the hospital. The animals have …
3V0970.01 Singing: expression, not communication (9/18/80) Peggy has long seemed the most musically inclined of our children. Recently we find her singing to herself very frequently. The songs are unstructured but do mix changes of pitch and duration with words – – Gretchen laughed to hear her sing “Daddy is a dum-dum,” (the older children’s …
3V0965.01 BANG and RING: extending word knowledge (9/13/80) Peggy can recognize these two words as distinct. She clambered onto my bed this evening, asking me to read her a Tintin story. We came, inter alia, across several “bangs” to which Peggy remarked, “That say, ‘BANG’.” As we read on, we came to a picture of …
3V0956.02 Odd turns of speech: (9/4/80) Driving along Goose Lane, Peggy looked for cows in the fields but none were there, She explained that maybe they were in the barn, asleep. “Soon they will be wake upping, They will have some food.” Later on in the day she remarked. “We saw ducks to the water.” …
3V0956.01 Meaning more than she can say (9/4/80) This note documents an incident more remarkable for what Peggy failed to say that for what she did say: While I was off in Boston, Miriam had been sitting in my arm chair (one from which I shoo the children whenever I want to sit there.) It …
3V0949.02 five page-long list of books read to Peg in March: should be inserted at 3/4 date Date Reader Action Book 3/4 Miriam read Little Black, a pony 3/4 Miriam look Know Your Scotch Terrier 3/4 Gretchen read Little Black 3/4 Gretchen look Know your Scotch Terrier 3/5 Gretchen read Winnie the Pooh (half story …
3V0949.01 Roles involving three people: (correcting me about Gretchen) (8/28/80) I no longer recall the detail of this incident. What is important is development of the role-expansion theme from two to three characters. Note that Peggy only has trouble with the third person possessive pronouns (and adjective also). She has trouble — as will be …
3V0944.01 Blue Moon: Color names: for Peggy “blue” means white, color of eye- ball (8/23/80) A month ago I put the MG on insurance and began driving down town in it. Feeling I spend too little time with Peggy, I’ve been going out of my way to do so. A favorite after supper activity has …
3V0942.01 If “P” means Peggy, what is “eggy” ? (8/21/80) Peggy has been writing a lot lately. She frequently asks me to write “Peggy Lawler” on the pages before she does anything else. It has been my custom to write “PEGGY” at the top and “LAWLER” in the middle. She has come to accept that …
3V0941.01 “I taller him”: words and intonations (8/20/80) Peggy plays with the Fisher Price dolls, directing them and speaking for them. Peggy used the comparative appropriately in speaking for “Daddy” but more than that as well. She put on a very deep gruff voice — of the same sort she uses to boss about the …
3V0940.02 Left and right: convincing discrimination (8/19/80; 8/28/80) 8/28: Bob: Gretchen reports that a few days ago, Peggy came to her crying. When asked what was wrong, Peggy answered, “I hurt my left leg.” When Gretchen asked her to show Mommy the hurt place, Peggy pointed to her left leg. A short time ago, Peggy …
3V0940.01 GSB : letters as symbols for people: “This say Mommy, Scurry, Daddy” ( 8/19/80) We have a key ring about the house from the Guilford Savings Bank. Peggy brought it to me today and explained to me, “This says Mommy, Scurry, Daddy.” She has been told that this first letter begins the name Gretchen, …
3V0938.01 My-best-friend: early phrases as unstructured idioms; early variations: (8/17/80) How many words is this utterance ? How fluid or viscous are the relations of parts and the whole ? Playing down at Jacob’s Beach, Peggy used this phrase to refer to ANY child she met there of her size. (She has originally used it …
3V0935.05 Knock-knock: “timber” precedes “timber who?” When she finished supper early, Peggy gets down from her high chair but often hangs around the table. This evening she crawled under and played by herself. Miriam asked, “Knock knock.: and Gretchen and Robby together answered “Who’s there?” Miriam answered “Tim.” A small but positive voice from under …
3V0935.04 Metalinguistic knowledge: “‘belongs’, I know that word” (8/14/80) Peggy inquired at one point why something was where I had put it. I said, “Because it belongs there.” Peggy responded, “Belongs… I know that word.”
3V0935.03 Growing big to be a daddy (8/14/80) A few weeks ago Peggy mentioned she would grow big to be a Daddy. I agreed she would grow big but that she would grow big like a Mommy because she was a girl, would not grow big like a Daddy. Later, she indicated a preference for …
3V0935.02 Time: “Tomorrow went BOOP; Mimi did it.” (8/14/80) With my irregular schedule, days are much like one another. There is no daily grinds for me and no unusual weekend for Peggy; unusual in Daddy’s being home. Today and yesterday are not words I’ve heard her use. She does know that “tomorrow” is a time …
3V0935.01 Reading About Letters (8/14/80) In Richard Scary’s “Great Big School House,” an extended section is developed around the alphabet. Peggy was reading this section quietly to herself today when Robby’s friend Billy came for a visit. He joined Peggy on the floor for a while, asked if she knew her letters or numbers. Peggy …
3V0933.03 Nouns and adjectives: non-standard usage (8/12/80) Peggy has long resisted our attributing any character to her where of this form, “You’re a X.” (Or “Are you an X ?”) Bob: Are you a sweet Peggy ? Peggy: Yes. Bob: Are you a sweety ? Peggy: No ! I’m a Peggy ! It appears to …
3V0933.02 Fixity of Part Relations: idioms are central (8/12/80) As we set out the supper on the table, Peggy in her high chair already was delighted to see the food. “It’s macaroni and cheese,” she exclaimed, “Peg,” I said, “It’s cheese and macaroni.” “Not cheese and macaroni,” she argued adamantly, “It’s macaroni and cheese.” What …
3V0933.01 Describing actions: fluid script application (8/12/80) Over this past week, Peggy has often played with her Fischer-Price dolls. This has joined with her new interest in Legos so she has made (with Miriam’s help and mine) in making couches and houses for her dolls. Most striking about Peggy’s play with dolls is her language …
3V0932.02 Bouncing imagined; nonstandard pronoun usage (8/11/80) Peggy listened with the toy telephone at her ear then put it down. “Mrs. Gonan. I go to she’s house and bounce on trampoline.” Thus Peggy recalled and imagined an activity which has been the ideal realization of one of her favorite activities, bouncing. For months now, it …
3V0932.01 Reading aloud to herself: characterization; French also (8/11/80) Peggy has often read aloud to herself, does not feel self-conscious about doing so (But is reluctant to read to ME as witness on P134). Her reading procedure seems to call upon two sources of information. The main (at least dominant) one is the picture accompanying …
3V0929.01 Language Rules used to construct new forms (8/8+/80) Peggy is clearly constructing verbal forms by rules. Two sorts are now witnessed: verb tense (past – even if her use be aspectual) and pluralization rules. Spontaneously, she produced BREAKED (8/8). BOOKSES (8/9), GORILLASES (8/13), and DUCKSES (8/13).
3V0924.02 Watching Videotapes: single letters as name symbols (8/3/80) Last night Gretchen and I reviewed four videotapes (weeks 26, 52, 78, and 104). Peggy was in and out during this two hours of viewing (she was alternately watching an hour long Disney show on the basement TV). One question of interest to me was what …
3V0924.01 Meta-linguistic reflection: “I sorry.” (8/3/80) We have an old clock whose face plate falls off with a distressing regularity. Peggy just bumped the clock, the face plate fell off, and she walked away. Sitting down in the middle of the floor, she called it to my attention. Peggy: I sorry break the clock. Bob: …
3V0918.02 Self-classification: “I daughter.” (7/28/80) Peggy confided to me thus that she was a daughter, sitting in my lap. Over the next few days, she refined that self classification. Mimi is the big daughter. Peggy is my little daughter.
3V0918.01 Non standard sentence: [Toast. That feel better me.] No further text available.
3V0917.01 Egocentricity and agent expression: very non-standard usage (7/27/80) At the beach: On their return, Peggy informed me of an event that was important to her(She has referred to it several times since, in nearly the same verbal formulation): “Go to the beach the beach and fall in the water, then somebody pick me up, …
3V0916.01 Commitment to an interpretation: [go pick the lady grass.](7/26/80) Miriam has been given the job of picking grass out of the driveway and she resists it mightily. I recently scolded her and told her to go pick out every blade of grass at the turn (the grass had slowed drainage and caused some flooding). …
3V0910.02 Possessive pronouns: non-standard forms [he lives in he’s house.] (7/20-24/80) Peggy was reading that Britanica book which begins with a picture of several animals and asks where they live. There are pictured on one page a horse, dog, spider, turtle, and others (?) and on the facing page a barn, pond, dog house, and …
3V0896.01 Letters as symbols for people’s names (7/6/80) In session P127 and P128, Peggy revealed the congeniality of her conceiving of and remembering letter names as associated with members of our family. Today she sat on the floor and help up a ‘P’. “That’s me, right?” she asked and later “That Robby?” (for a ‘B’). …
3V0893.01 Excuses: [No. I’m keeping my ears warm.] (7/3/80) Miriam returned from Boston with a hat I bought her, like the one I bought Robby the week before. The hats are too large for the children unless adjusted to their minimum size. While Peggy ran around with her head submerged in Miriam’s hat (which Robby …
3V0880.01 Reading” two words: [That say ‘no’. (in No more tangles)] (6/28/80 and earlier) Miriam reported to me two incidents occurring during my five days in Boston. First, she tricked Peggy. Pointing to the word “No” on the container of “No More Tangles,” Miriam asked if she could read it. Peggy said, “No.” Miriam congratulated …
3V0882.03 Reading as VERY specific knowledge: The Calculus Affair (6/22/80) Peggy climbed into a chair with the Tintin book unopened. Pointing to the title on the cover she asked “What’s that name, way up there?” “Calculus,” I answered. Pointing a little lower, she asked, “What’s that name?” My answer was “affair” and finally “The” when …
3V0882.01 More on “crack” and “bang”: [It DOES say ‘crack’] (6/21/80) Peggy sits across the room from me, reading “The Calculus Affair.” A few moments ago she read at the end of the book, “I love him and that one. I love Snowy and Captain Hack-uck.” (pointing at the pictures) I agreed Snowy was a …
3V0880.03 “Crack” and “bang”: correction by Miriam; that say “Peggy Lawler” Peggy clambered in Gretchen’s lap with “The Calculus Affair.” She read some words to Gretchen, That say ‘crack’; that say ‘crack’; that say ‘BANG’!” How did she ever learn that (“Bang”) ? Miriam explained that while Gretchen and I were off at Guilford Lake’s …
3V0880.02 Reading a word/image: lighting & thunder from Tintin Last night, after dinner, Peggy asked to sit in my lap, “Daddy, I sit you.” First we read a Tintin cartoon book that was close at hand (The Calculus Affair). We went over the first few pages identifying the characters (Snowy, Tintin, Captain Hack-uck). I identified …
3V0880.01 Using “shame on you” (cf. notes of 6/16) (6/20/80) Last night at supper, Peggy clambered into Robby’s chair while he was in the kitchen. He returned, touched her on the head from behind the chair and asked what she was doing in his chair. Peggy pushed away his hand saying, “Shame on you.” Miriam …
3V0876.02 Roots of reading: recapitulation of Benj. Bunny Peggy just said, “Bunny slid [/sit?] down in the road and went to Mister Gregor’s house.” Peggy was, of course, looking at Benjamin Bunny, pp. 10-11. The text is as follows: “as soon as they had passed (The McGregors), little Benjamin Bunny slid down into the road, …
3V0876.01 More role articulation: (toilet training) (6/26/80) Peggy has been much engaged with toilet training (mainly from social pressure plus a little direct instruction). For example, when I called home from Boston last week, she was so proud of herself she explained having taken off her coat and dress and that she had pissed in …
3V0873.01 Funny verbs: [I be a small-ey] (6/13/80) Playing on my bed in the morning, we began to talk about being big and small. At one point, she asserted, “I be a small-ey.” This is a weak example of her usage, to further examples of which we will try to be more sensitive.
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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …