Help Evaluate the Discovery Center
Learning Through Play
It is widely believed that children learn by playing, but if you observe children’s play activities, you may notice that the process of ‘playing’ is inherently unsystematic. This contradiction has made the question of how children learn during play of particular interest to parents, teachers and researchers. To find out what play is all about, cognitive scientists have developed and are testing theories about how children might learn through play.
Simplicity and Probability
Do children reason like adults?
Research has shown that adults prefer the simplest explanation with the fewest causes to explanations that are more probable, but more complex. This study asks: do children use the same reasoning?
In the first condition, children are read three storybooks. In each book, children are asked to choose between different explanations for events. The first story determines whether children prefer a simple or a more complex explanation. The second story determines whether children prefer a more probable or a less probable explanation. The third story pits simple explanations against more probable, but more complex explanations. We predict that children will reason the same way as adults and choose the simpler, but less probable explanation.
Through testing at the Discovery Center we found that children had trouble with our probability storybook. We have introduced a new condition that aims to explain probability more clearly. Children are shown red and green chips that light up a toy. There are many more green chips than red chips. The researcher hides the chips, and then chooses one to make the toy light up. When asked which chip caused the toy to light up, we predict children will say ‘a green one’ because this is the more probable explanation.
This research will help us better understand whether using principles of simplicity and probability may be one way children are able to form theories about the world, despite the fact that they may observe only small amounts of evidence.
Learn about other research related to Learning Through Play.
This research is conducted by the Early Childhood Cognition Lab at MIT
Try it at the Museum
Fossil Evidence: Following the Trail
Observe the fossilized footprints and have your child tell a story about what might have happened.
What kind of evidence do they use to guess what animal left behind the footprints?
How many animals were there, and what they were doing?
Children leave footprints behind too! Do they draw on prior knowledge from these experiences to tell their story?
Millipede Watching!
Scientists observe an animal's physical features and habitat to gather evidence about its behavior. Have your child observe the millipedes like a scientist.
Ask your child to explain why the millipedes might look and act the way they do.
Why might they have so many legs? What do they use the cucumbers for?
When explaining, does your child rely on evidence or imagination?
Try it at Home
Talking about Evidence
Children ask questions all of the time, so turn these moments into educational opportunities! The next time your child asks a question, respond with another question. Let your child guide the discussion, and listen to how your child reasons when learning about topics that interest him or her.
The Living Laboratory initiative is made possible through support from the National Science Foundation.