the signifier is not the signified

A watershed in human epistemological development is when we learn that symbols aren't the same as the things they represent. This article by Judy Deloache highlights intriguiging and often humorous anecdotes from over two decades of research on children's unique ways of thinking. Philosophers, scientists, educators, and parents take note.

A sample:

Meredith Amaya of Northwestern University, Uttal and I are now testing the effect of experience with symbolic objects on young children's learning about letters and numbers. Using blocks designed to help teach math to young children, we taught six- and seven-year-olds to do subtraction problems that require borrowing (a form of problem that often gives young children difficulty). We taught a comparison group to do the same but using pencil and paper. Both groups learned to solve the problems equally well--but the group using the blocks took three times as long to do so. A girl who used the blocks offered us some advice after the study: "Have you ever thought of teaching kids to do these with paper and pencil? It's a lot easier."

[via Arts and Letters Daily]