Ethan's Question...

Ethan is learning Baa! Baa! Black Sheep on the piano. He is obsessed with the words to the song. Here are the words...

Baa! Baa! Black sheep have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full,
One for my master
And one for my dame,
But none for the little boy
That lives in the lane,
Baa! Baa! Black sheep have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.

The first day we were playing it he just sat staring at me while I sang and played. When I got done he said, "He's mean."

I paused. "Why is he mean?'

"Because he didn't give any to the little boy."

"Oh," I said, "I guess you are right, that doesn't seem very nice."

End of discussion.

Next day...

Ethan says, "Why won't he give one to the little boy? He must still have one bag left over. I mean, where did the third bag go? He said he gave (and now he is reading the words to me) one to his master and one to the dame. He must have one bag still. Why can't he share it with the little boy?"

"Sorry, Ethan. That is a good question but I have no idea." At this point I am laughing because he actually did the math and figured out that he had a bag left over. This is really bothering him.

Today he says, "I still don't like that he won't share with that little boy. Where is the last bag of wool?"

Good question.

I have a question too. Different subject. How in the world does Ethan know how to read contractions without reading it as a contraction. For example...when he sees "it's" he reads "it is" when he sees "they're" he reads "they are". When he sees "haven't" he reads "have not". Do kids just know this? He WON'T read it as a contraction. How does he know that "haven't" is the same as "have not". I never taught him this. He scares me sometimes.