Video Transcript
Narrator: In the Cognitive Development domain, the strand Emergent Mathematical Thinking includes the foundation Spatial Thinking. Children from 11 through 23 months show an understanding of where objects are located in space. They also use trial and error to discover how objects or their bodies move and fit in space.
Example 1
Text on screen: Uses trial and error to discover how objects fit and move in space
On screen: 23-month-old Amelia stands in a play area where five tubes of various diameters are taped vertically to the wall. A caregiver crouches next to Amelia and watches her place a ball at the top of the second tube. The ball is bigger than the tube and sits on top of it.
Caregiver 1: Oh, too big. Small one?
On screen: The caregiver hands Amelia a smaller ball. Amelia holds the ball over fourth tube.
Amelia: Maybe.
Caregiver 1: Oh, maybe. Maybe in there.
On screen: Amelia lets go of the ball and it falls through.
Caregiver 1: There you go.
On screen: The caregiver hands her another ball.
Caregiver 1: (inaudible) Hmm, where?
On screen: Amelia places the ball in the fourth tube, and again it falls through.
Caregiver 1: It fits.
Amelia: Wah!
Caregiver 1: Right through it. Wow.
On screen: Amelia takes another, larger ball from her caregiver and goes back to the fourth tube. She places the larger ball on the tube, and it sits on top instead of falling through.
Caregiver 1: Oops. Oh, it’s too big.
On screen: Amelia claps her hands and smiles.
Caregiver 1: but yeah, it’s on top of it, right?
Example 2
Text on screen: Uses trial and error to discover how objects fit in space
On screen: 21-month-old Milani and her caregiver sit together at a table. Milani is trying to fit a cow stuffie into a bowl. She lifts the stuffie out of the bowl and sets it back in, hind legs first. Most of the stuffie sits above the rim of the bowl. She picks up the bowl and swings it side to side. The stuffie falls out.
Milani: (inaudible)
Caregiver 2: You put that — poor cow!
On screen: Milani looks down at the cow then back at her caregiver, who is holding a large plastic baby doll in her lap. Milani picks up the doll.
Caregiver 2: And now? Baby.
On screen: Milani tries to fit the doll into the bowl, but it is too big and falls out.
Milani: Uh-oh!
Caregiver 2: Uh-oh. What happened with the baby?
On screen: Milani picks the doll back up. She tries again to put the doll into the bowl, but it won’t fit.
Milani: No fit. No fit.
On screen: Milani continues trying to fit the doll in the bowl.
Caregiver 2: No fit?
Milani: No fit.
Example 3
Text on screen: Uses trial and error to discover how their body moves and fits in space
On screen: 23-month-old Julian crawls the under a four-sided, plexiglass easel. He looks around curiously and stands up in the center of the easel. As he stands up, he bumps into a long plastic rod resting across the lower ledge of the easel and sticking out slightly from either side.
Julian picks up the rod, turns to hold it at a diagonal angle across the easel, and tips one end down. This allows him to free it from the easel ledge. He bends down and slides the rod out between the legs of the easel.
A caregiver steps forward and takes the rod from Julian.
Caregiver 3: Thank you.
On screen: Julian stands back up inside the easel and looks around again. He turns to face a child standing outside the easel. Julian puts his palms on the plexiglass and the other child begins hitting the plexiglass with a plastic fork and her hand.
Caregiver 3: (off screen) Be careful.
On screen: Julian turns around and briefly fits his finger into a hole in the easel. Then he bends over and crawls out from under the easel, moving slowly and carefully to avoid bumping his head.