Blog entries tagged challenging_questions

About ingredients

Mon, 22 Jul 2013 10:08:00 +0100

While my daughter was eating her favorite soup made by her grandmother, I thought it will be a good opportunity to ask her about ingredients.

Me: Teona, this is your favorite soup. I never asked you if you know what makes it so delicious. Why do you like it so much?

T: Because it is my favorite. Grandma makes it for me.

Me: What do you think grandma puts in it?

My mother usually cuts the vegetables very finely so it takes her a little time to observe them.

T: She puts a lot of noodles. They are my favorite.

Me: Do you know how grandma makes the noodles?

T: I don't know.

Me: Let's give it a try. The spaghetti for example, they are made from...?

T: Flour.

Me: Do you think grandma uses also flour?

T: Yes and salt.

Me: Ok, what else?

T: I don't know (again).

I explained her the way grandma does the noodles.

Me: What else can you see and taste in this soup?

T: Carrots, tomatoes, cherry pepper, salt

Me: This green leaf, what is it?

T: Parsley.

Me: Good. There is something else that grandma puts in a soup at the beginning, but you don't have it now in your plate, what do you think it is?

T: Salt.

Me: No. Grandma boils it to give flavor.

T: Meat. Chicken meat.

Me: Good. Why do you think this soup has this color?

T: I don't know.

The next questions asked were givin' the same answer "I don't know". I let her eat.

I guess this was not so challenging to her.

The second day, I changed the soup with one that she does not like, also made by my mother. It is a traditional soup "zer cu cartofi" (it is called in Romanian; a kind of buttermilk with potatoes). The vegetables are also cut finely. To make her eat it I challenged her. I said that if she can give me than 5 ingredients, I will try to give her another three and the one who said them correctly wins a chocolate croissant. We will also call grandma to ask about the correct ingredients.

I let her say first 5 ingredients because three of them were easily to see but the others were hard to guess... So, I wanted to encourage her even to win (and to eat the soup). Next time we will change the strategy.

Me: Let's hear the ingredients.

T: Potaoes. Salt. Tomatoes. Carrots.

Me: I don't think grandma put carrots. We will ask her.

So, you said three. I do not agree with the carrots. Anything else?

T: I can't see anything else.

Me: (I helped her) What's this green leaf?

T: Parsley.

Me: Ok! So you have four. Look at the color of the soup.

T: It looks a kind of orange.

Me: Ok. Good. What do you think gives this color?

T: Oranges (the fruit)?

Me: I don't think grandma put oranges in this soup.

T: Potatoes?

Me: Are potatoes orange? Don't guess, just think. It's something that I put sometimes also in soups.

T: Cream?

Me: Yes. It has cream and... To give this orange color...

T: I don't know.

Me: I mix sometimes cream with what? In a bowl with a fork...

T: Eggs?

Me: Yes. Cream and eggs. Anything else?

T: I said five. Your turn.

I said oil, dill and green onions.

We called grandma and she confirmed that there were no carrots in the soup. But also she said another ingredients that the soup have: lovage, celery and buttermilk.

An unfinished salad

Mon, 22 Jul 2013 08:49:00 +0100

I gave Teona the idea of making a salad on her own, to surprise her daddy. I also said that at the end she can give a name to her salad, because it would be her recipe. She took her little chair, open the fridge and selected the vegetables for the salad.

She chose: tomatoes, letucce, cucumbers, green onions and carrots (I don't usually put carrots in a salad, so it was something new). I suggested her to take also radishes, but she refused! :-) She does not like radishes.

I helped her wash and clean the vegetables. She took her little knife, the one she usually use when she helps me in the kitchen and starts to cut the carrots.

Me: So, you started to cut the carrots in this way (slices).
Why is that? Can you cut it differently?

T: I don't know. This is the way that you do it.

Me: Let's try differently.

T: Let me do it this way now.

She does the same thing with the tomatoes (diced), cucumbers (slices), green onion (also slices). She does not want to try it differently. She does the way she saw me doing it.

Regarding lettuce, she put her little knife down and started to tear lettuce by hand. Also the way I do it all the time.

Me: Why do you think I don't use a knife?

T: I don't know.

I explained to her why I tear the lettuce with my hands.

Me: What should you do next?

T: I don't know.

It was clearly that she was not in a mood for thinking or talking. Even though she was excited at the biginning.

Me: Let's look again in the fridge. What else can be mixed with the vegetables?

T: Cheese and olives.

Me: Ok. Perfect. Let's try.

Teona cuts the cheese (diced) and puts the olives in her salad.

Me: The next part?

T: (again) I don't know.

Me: What else do you have to put in your salad to be more tastier?

T: You can put some salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon, mommy. I am tired!

I said that if she wont finish her salad, it won't be her recipe and she can not give a name to this salad. She did not finished.

I was a little bit disappointed because I did not expected her to give up. I thought that making a surprise to her daddy and giving the salad a name would motivate her. But I am sure that it was no challenge for her. And the way she cut the vegetables, the way I do it, she did not want to try another way. Should I show her different ways to cut vegetables or try another time?

Dialogue about Pinocchio

Thu, 18 Jul 2013 02:02:00 +0100

Before afternoon sleep I let Teona choose a book from her library to read to her. This time I used a mediator, Peppa pig.

She chose Pinocchio.

Peppa: Why did you chose Pinocchio?

Teona: Because I like when Pinocchio becames a real boy. He is not from wood anymore. He is real!

P: What book do you think your mommy would have chosen?

T: The Beauty and the Beast.

P: Why do you think so?

T: Because it is a beautiful story about a princess.

P: I have heard about some donkeys in this story about Pinocchio...

T: Yes. It is a carriage with a lot of boys including Pinocchio and Jiminy standing on a wheel. They are taken to Neverland. (She makes a confusion about the place. it is about Neverland from Peter Pan and Pleasure Island from Pinocchio. Peppa could not correct her because she doesn't know the story. I did not know if I should interfere in the dialog. I did it later)

They are transformed into donkeys. Pinocchio will have a big tail and very big ears.

P: I don't know the story. What happend before?

T: Pinocchio met two cats Gideon and John and they brought him to Coachman, so that he could not find his way back home.

P: What happened after Pinocchio become a donkey?

T: He got away and went to save his father from the Monstro's belly.

Teona is getting bored but Peppa insists in asking her because she had never heard about this story and it will make her happy to hear it from her. She promised to ask three questions more.

P: Can you describe Pinocchio?

T: (looking at one picture from the book) It has a big nose now, because he lied. He has a hat with a feather, blue eyes like mine, a blue bow on his T-shirt, white gloves and he is made from wood. He also had an apple and a book from Geppetto when he went to school.

P: What character would you remove from the book and why?

T: The coachman. He is bad, transforms the kids into donkeys and take them to Neverland (again the confusion)

P: Who is your favorite character?

T: Blue Fairy. She has a magic wand and transforms toys into people. She is Jiminy's friend.

After a few minutes she felt asleep. No time for reading... I did it later.

While reading I asked her about the confusion... She remembered. Also I told her that I heard when she was saying to Peppa that she doen not like the Coachman. I asked her: What can the Coachman do for her to like him?

T: Love the children.

Me: What is your favorite scene from this story.

T: (I am sure that she asociated with the noun scene) The one in which Pinocchio dances on the scene with the dancers. He sings and everyone is having fun.

Me: What about the cover? Do you like the cover of this book?

T: I would put a bigger image of Blue Fairy, bigger than Pinocchio. (She likes more Blue Fairy)

Me: What about the pictures. What if it had no picture?

T: It would not be so beautiful.

Me: What's your favorite cover from the Disney collection books? (Each book has on the back the covers of the others books from collection)

T: The Aristocats. It has funny.

Me: How do you think the story continues?

T: I don't know.

I insist, she gaves me the same reply for 3 times.

Me: Do you think is a big man now?

T: I guess. I don't know. Maybe he is in Neverland with Peter Pan.

In a mood for a TV show...

Wed, 10 Jul 2013 02:57:00 +0100

She likes now the TV show named Lazy Town. I proposed her a day before to watch together a new episode while I drink my morning coffee and she drinks her milk. Like girls do! :-) And have a little talk. She was excited by the idea. I did not know when to use the questions or when to discuss with her. During the show, at the beginning, at the end... So i tried to do it in all the moments. Sometimes it disturbed her, because she could not pay attention to the show. When I felt that I am annoying her I stopped for a while. Her favorite character is Sportacus. Initially I called him Spartacus (like the Roman gladiator) for a few times. It seemed more logical to me. She corrected me until I understood. At the beginning I asked her why does she like Sportacus.

T: He is handsome, he helps a lot children in need and because he makes acrobatics.

I asked her to describe it to me. Because I don't know the character.

T: He is all blue, tall, he has glasses, mustache and a costume like a robot. He must sleep before eight o'clock in the evening because he needs energy to save and to help the children.

During the show I tryed to make her see (without naming) another features of Sportacus but she could only see the acrobatics that this character does (he runs, jumps, stays in one hand etc).

Another thing that surprised me is the fact that she invented something. She considers that Sportacus is Stephanie's father. I told her that they are only friends.

T: No. Sportacus is Stephanie's dad. He has a Airship and he rescues her all the time. Also all the children.
I asked her also which is the character she doesn't like and why.

T: I don't like Robbie. He is naughty, he takes all the toys, he is really bad.

Me: Don't you think that he might also have a good part?

T: No. He keeps people closed in his airship...

I think it would have been a good idea if I knew more about this tv show.

She also will exclude Robbie if she will have the chance.

Me: Why?

T: Because he is bad, I already told you ten times...

:-)

My next questions were answered with the same words.

She likes it when we talk but she is feeling sometimes suspicious about all this questions. Even though the questions sound natural. I told her that I care about what she thinks about different things.

We will have to still practice!

Our first attempt

Tue, 02 Jul 2013 13:39:00 +0100

We go to the park every day. It is very close to our home. From time to time we change the location and choose another park. Yesterday morning I decided to take her to the biggest park in our home town. I know she likes it. We had to take the bus. It was a good chance to do with my daughter thinking activities related to "being / going somewhere". I started to ask her questions (in Romanian, our language) in order to make some comparison between the two parks. I have to say that my daughter, T., is 4 years old.

Me: It's very nice in here, isn't it?

T: Yes, it is.

Me: What do you like about this park?

T. It is beautiful and it has more playgrounds than ours.

Me: Anything else? Why do you think it is beautiful?

T: Why do you ask?

She just looked at me seriously...

Me: I try to find out why do you like more this place.

T: (again seriously) Why do you ask?

...

So, I didn't say anything. I felt like I had failed somehow. I let her play.

...

On the way home, we took the bus. Suddenly I remembered another "game"- question about the surroundings (three properties given and guess). It was succesful. 20 minutes of playing on the bus plus another few hours at home... Exhausted me and my husband. But it felt good. And I am pretty sure that I gave this idea to people from the bus to play with their children. We had fun.

Playing this game, she discovered a lot of things on the bus that she hadn't seen before. At the beginning, while she thought at an object and started to describe it, she was looking at it, so it was very easy to guess. Also she used for a few times as a feature "beautiful". I explained to her that it is not a good criteria because people see things differently, not everything that it is beautiful to her is beautiful to others. I have noticed that she uses frequently aspects related to size, shape, color and it has difficulties when it comes about the material (wood, glass, plastic, iron etc) even though she knows about them. We have to still practice.

Even if I had some trouble with comparison things, I will try to do it later with her, with another topic, not parks.

Reading to the child (part 3)

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:15:00 +0100

BOOK N. 2

The second book we read is titled “Dany the fawn”: this story is about a family of rabbits consisting of Daddy Rabbit, Mummy Rabbit and two bunnies.

One day, Daddy Rabbit brings the bunnies to school; while he’s coming home, in the wood, he sees a fawn named Dany, which looks hungry and frozen.

So, he offers it a shelter in his house.

While Dany is drinking a cup of milk, Mummy Rabbit and Daddy Rabbit realize that outside is starting a blizzard, and they worry for their bunnies, because they have to come home from school.

Dany is very kind, and it runs through the snow to help the bunnies, which can finally come home.

A. likes the fawn very much, in fact she looks carefully the cover of the book, on which there is a nice picture of the animal.

This animal reminds her the fawn Bambi, the Walt Disney’s character, in fact she never says Dany, but Bambi.

Even in this case I refer to the pictures, at which she looks with interest.

QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE CONTENT:

I constantly ask her some questions, to stimulate thinking and to involve her in the story’s interpretation:

F “Daddy Rabbit, while he is coming home, sees somebody: a little fawn! Look at the picture: does it look happy or sad? Why?”

A “It’s sad, because it’s frozen and it wants its mother!”

F “Yes. And what could happen after it?”

A “He takes Bambi to his home!”

F “Yes. Now, look at this picture: what’s happening to Mummy Rabbit? She’s looking out of the window, and she looks worried! Why?”

A “Because it’s snowing, and the bunnies are at school!”

F “So, what could happen after it?”

A “Bambi va les chercher!”

F (turning the page) “You’re right! So, what do you think about the fawn?”

A “Bambi is very kind because it takes the bunnies at home!”

F “Would you like to be one of the characters? Why?”

A “I would like to be the fawn, because it’s very nice and kind.”

OTHER

F “Do you like the cover of the book?”

A “Yes, I like it very much. Why don’t we draw a picture of the fawn?”

F “Ok!”

Observations:

I’m satisfied with the activity, because I noticed that I had child’s interest and attention.

We often read together, and A. likes listening very much, especially if I imitate the characters’ voices and I add details to reading, always referring to the pictures.

A. also likes listening the same book several times.

Reading to the child (part 2)

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:06:00 +0100

BOOK N. 1

We start from “The Ducks Painters”: briefly, the story is about two troublemaker ducks which have to paint Mrs. Rabbit’s home.

Mrs. Rabbit is very tidy, and since the ducks don’t do a good job, she doesn’t give them a reward (a cake), but a punishment (a pumpkin).

I begin to tell the story, referring to the pictures, adding details and trying to imitate the characters’ voices.

A. is attracted by the story and by the pictures, and she carefully looks at them.

QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE CONTENT

I ask her some questions, and she answers me referring to the pictures:

- F “What’s happening here? Mrs. Rabbit will be happy?

- A. describes the scene “No, they are getting everything dirty!” she says, referring to the picture and pointing with her finger the color spots all over the home. “They have made the floor, the table, le sofa, dirty!”

- F “You’re right! And what’s happening here?”

- A “Here comes Mrs. Rabbit…”

- F “Do you think she will be happy?”

- A “No! Because the ducks have made a mess all over the house!”

I focus on a picture in particular, observing that the ducks have a proud expression, despite the bad job they have done:

- F “Look, they’re smiling. Why?”

- A (she’s thinking) “I don’t know”

- F “Maybe, they think they have done a good job. But is Mrs. Rabbit happy, instead?”

- A. turns the page “No! Look!” she says, pointing with her finger Mrs. Rabbit’s upset expression.

- F “She looks desperate! What will she do now?”

- A. turns the page again, pronouncing: “Pumpkin!”, referring to the punishment that Mrs. Rabbit gives to the ducks.

At the end of the reading, A. asks me to read the book again.

She also says that, this time, she would like to be the narrator (obviously, by means of the pictures).

I tell her that I’m agree.

I observe with curiosity that she focuses on the same details I underlined before, also pointing the same pictures that I pointed. For example:

- “Mrs. Rabbit has a very clean and tidy home. Look, here she’s cleaning the floor!”

- “In this picture the ducks are laughing, because they think that Mrs. Rabbit will give them a cake!”

I ask her some question before starting the next reading:

F “Would you like to be one of the ducks?”

A “No…”

F “Why?”

A “Because they are nothing but trouble!”

Reading to the child (part 1)

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:58:00 +0100

Hello everyone, my name is Federica; I’m 25 years old and I live in Turin.

I would like to describe a reading activity based on principles of PASS;
I did this activity with the child I babysit with; she’s born to French parents, and raised in Italy.
I hope my post may be of interest to you.

Before performing the activity, I prepared several question to ask the child, and then I took note of her answers and her comments.

We spoke in Italian.

In some occasions, the child pronounced some words in French, the language of her parents; I have shown these words in Italics.

F = me A = child (4 years and 10 months)

QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE CHOICE OF BOOK

- F “Why don’t we read a book?”

- A “Yes, which one?”

- F “The one you like the most”

She starts leafing through various books.

Finally, she chooses two books: “The Ducks Painters” e “Dany The Fawn”.

- A “I’d like to read these two books!”

- F “Why?”

- A “Because they’re about animals, and I like animals very much”

- F “Ok. Who bought you these books?”

- A “Mum”

- F “Do you think she would like them?”

- A “I don’t know…”

- F “Do you think she would read them?”

- A (laughing) “Oh, no! She is an adult!”

- F “And your brother? Do you think he would read them?”

- A “No, he’s a boy. He only plays with voitures!”

- F “Do you think did you enjoy these books when you were a baby?”

- A “Yes, because I’ve always liked animals!”

A. is looking forward to read the books, and while I’m asking her the last questions, she opens the first book to make me understand that she doesn’t want to talk anymore, but reading.