Mediate Your Way to the (Candle) Light

I want to introduce to you, my good friend, Pythagoras. I bought him at a yard sale. It's the word the used to describe Tanagrams back then. If you look at the design of the box it screams circa 1960's. I'm guessing that they used a Greek sounding word (or perhaps a real Grek word, I'm not sure) to make it sound like some high IQ game.

I got it because it was 15cents and was about shapes.

See that picture of the candle in the top right corner of this slightly fuzzy photo. That is our goal today friends.

My 4 year old is going to make it. (INTENTIONALITY AND RECIPROCITY)

And I am going to mediate while she does.

Look out Socrates, there's a new Questioner in town.

You start at the very beginning (that's a very good place to start-name that musical!)

My daughter studies the picture and I ask, "So, how should we begin?"

She points to the bottom of the picture.

"What shape is that?"

"A triangle."

"What kind of triangle?"

"It looks big."

"Let's try comparing the pieces."

(There is a flurry of activity as daughter compares the 7 pieces. She decides on the white, fat triangle)

Next, she determines that another big triangle goes into this design.

I ask her questions to make sure she is putting the piece in accurately.

We hem and haw over the next few pieces. I ask, "Do we need to make it exactly like the picture?, What happens if we don't line up the triangles exactly, what will it look like?"

She carefully places the triangles down and then we talk about dogs.

After our random discussion on dogs, we return to a careful study of the picture. We have three shapes left. And the next shape is a triangle. She chooses the correct shape, leaving the square and the parallelogram for the next stage.

Once she figured out the base of the candle the rest was easy.

"Do you think it was important to follow the picture?"

She nods.

"Why?"

"Well, I can't make a candle without it."

"Well, you could have, but..."

"Mommy, it would take me forever!"

"So what can we learn about following instructions?" (MEANING)

"I don't know."

"You said it would take forever if we didn't have the picture guide. Can instructions help us?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"So we can make candles quickly."

"Yes. And we can make many other things quickly. Like..." (BRIDGING)

"Like cookies!"

"Yes, and cakes!"