"No, It's Not. It's Carbon Dioxide!"

Language is what drives all learning. ... It is life’s equalizer. No high tech piece of gadgetry, large, small or cute, can replace the human being in teaching or modelling language to children. As a parent volunteer (and former secondary school foods teacher) in 'Mary’s' primary intensive language class, I drawn to young children at the beginning of their learning careers. I wanted to make a difference. ... Time was not on their side. I could not waste this valuable invisible learning resource! 

The class had begun as usual:  measuring, mixing, kneading and shaping.... (It was a strict plan followed every week  in Mary’s class.) .... The large, cumbersome, mass of dough was being kneaded, in turn, by each member of the group of 4 -5.... (The dough served as a tool in the development of upper body strength, co-ordination and a symbol of 'brain stimulation') In one sense the child was also manipulating his brain. To make the dough strong and elastic, the children knew the importance of kneading. ... They watched, felt and understood the visual and tactile changes that would indicate that the dough was ready for the next step. ...They helped each other as the questions continued. ... (The questions always continued. They formed the basis of this experimental fun, practical exercise called yeast dough).

“What is that”, I asked, in reference to the little ‘balloons’ visible on the surface of the dough.’ The first student responded, “bubbles”... (These little markers were indicators of good kneading and a healthy dough). ...We continued. ... “What is inside these bubbles?” I continued. The student thought for the longest time then blurted out the word, “Antibiotics”...  His response was quick, unexpected and amazing. ... Such depth of thought. ... How had that happen?  Then came a rebuttal, uttered in complete indignation, by his female classmate who retorted, “No its not.  It’s carbon dioxide.” Blunt and to the point! . ... Award winning answers in a special needs primary language class!

How did this interplay of words occur? .... Both Mary and I were stunned by the fast paced exchange of information. It was unforeseen, unimaginable, incredible. ...This ‘debate’ came about because of the meaningful activity that lay before the students, repeated week after week, in different formats with one big difference: language was first and foremost on the minds of these confident children. ... It had to be. Language is, after all, the engine that drives all learning in life and forms the foundation upon which higher order thinking is built.

The word antibiotics is generally not in the vocabulary of a young child. ... I had not spoken about bacteria but had about germs and hand washing. ... The young boy was thinking in an extraordinary way, coming up with a meaningful response that made sense to him and me. The girl was listening and helped to change the discourse. What was significant was hearing the 'spoken' thought of a young child. There is nothing more profound than that.

Carbon dioxide is a colourless, odourless and invisible gas found in the air and also trapped in the bubbles of well kneaded dough. ... The young girl corrected her classmate, feeling confident in her answer. ... She corrected her peer not the teacher. We had discussion and a most profound meeting of the minds. ... Mary and I were overwhelmed. ... These children were slowly becoming both scientist and master of their craft and yeast dough was the teaching tool. ... As the students kneaded the dough, they questioned, investigated and questioned some more. ... It was a remarkable event, with science and language at its core.

Sometimes, as teachers or parents, we are too focused on the correct answer, the correct  pronunciation of a word or words. ... What truly matters when working with young children, especially those with learning challenges, is the engagement of the child, the ease of speaking with another caring human being. ...  Let the words go. ... Their relevance, their correct pronunciation is totally irrelevant. What truly matters is the 'safety' and ease of the discourse between child/ adult and child/child. Our job is to encourage all children to express themselves through words. The ease of discussion must never be impeded. The door to higher order thinking is there. Let it happen. Love that dough! (Music will wait its turn).