Observation

As parents, we need to be good observers. Our children go through the world devouring experience and knowledge with the appetite of a swarm of locusts. If we're not paying close attention, we're bound to miss a lot of it. Some of the best science is done by sheer force of observation.

Too often the "scientific method" is described as first hypothesis; second testing; third confirmation. But what fails to be acknowledged is the importance of observation in the first place. If our hypotheses are to be meaningful, they must derive from something in the real world, in many cases they are motivated simply by astute observations.

I went for a walk with the boys this morning. The 13-month old wanted to walk most of the way himself, hoping to wander off as possible. (He was an early walker, about 10 months. His older brother was more cautious, on the verge of walking for months, but not taking his first steps until he was almost a year old.) Number two discovered something about our neighbors' yards. The first three houses we passed all had steps in the front, and a path leading off to the driveway on the left.

He enjoys climbing up steps, but wanted to take a detour when he got up. The first yard obliged him. At the second, he did the same, even though there was a railing there by the driveway, which I lifted him over. At the third, the path was hidden to my view, until I walked around to the driveway. He was elated.

What was evident was that he had formed an expectation based on his experience at the first house. It was confirmed at the second, even though it was a bit different. By the third, this expectation was strongly reinforced. A little later, we arrived at another house from the other direction, where he walked up the driveway, to discover the path led to the left toward the steps, rather than the right, as he expected. He wrinkled his nose, walked down the path, then proceeded to turn around and around at the top step.

Perhaps it was in part his preference to climb up than down (though he gladly does both). I suspect however, that he was indicating to me his confusion or delight at discovering something new. Recall how quickly children can learn from experience (cf. the citation for Saffran et al., below). They are statistical sampling wizards. Three in a row, with no countering evidence? That's pretty strong confirmation.