it takes practice to learn how to listen to children. You must not only hear the words ... their syntax ... context ... meaning ... but to also catch the sighs, smiles, frowns, and puzzled looks. What are children telling you when they answers one of the your questions?

Listed below are some categories that can be used to help you interpret student responses. These categories are not all inclusive, but they are a good beginning to help you learn how to listen.

this kind of remark might be used by a child who is uninterested or tired of a particular line of questioning. One girl was asked about the position of the sun and moon, and replied: "behind the mountains or somewhere like that." This response was the first thing that "popped" into her head and was not based on any factual observations. Later in the interview she admitted she wanted to quit because she was tired.

romancing

sometimes, a child will answer a question with "tongue in cheek" and not really have any conviction regarding the statement. The intent may be to fool or play a game wit the interviewer or merely to hear what it sounds like to speak. So any remark that is made without conviction is called romancing.

suggested conviction

children quite often try to find cues in the teacher's behavior that can give direction to 'preferred' responses. Verbal and nonverbal cues must be avoided so as not to influence the childŐs answer. The question, "Who do you think made the sun? " is much different than: "How do you think the sun began?" Like any other teaching skill, asking "neutral" questions takes practice.

liberated conviction

when a question is posed without 'suggestion,' the reasoning process by the child precedes the response and reflects a sincere, careful attempt by the child to give a 'sensible' answer.

spontaneous conviction

the spontaneity and conviction of the response indicates that the child has given some thought to the problem before and had worked out a solution that seems sensible to him.

these last four groups are used most commonly until the end of pre- operations. Then there is a gradual progression toward more 'objective' explanations of causality.

these terms are applied to the tendency of attributing human-like qualities to natural objects and events.

"The sun is going to bed."

"The stone got hurt when it fell."

artificialism

these answers denote a belief that things are made for our benefit. "We have air so we can breath." Things exist or events occur because we need them.

magic

such answers are used to characterize explanations where people cause things to happen, that is, movement of clouds, movement of the sun, and the like.

teleology

implies that natural phenomena have an end in mind.

"Water seeks its own level."

"The plants wanted the light so it turned its stem."

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