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Originally Posted by chachava
Congratulations but that doesn't mean squat I'm afraid - I'm a mathematician with a masters degree but that doesn't mean I am always correct when it comes to math based questions...
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Math is a direct science. Human development is not. As far as I know, math is rote. Either you know something or you don`t. There isn`t a whole lot of room for checking cases, doing research, etc.
I would hope, however, that with a masters, you would be able to grasp the concept behind something mathematical even if you didn`t actually know it to begin with.
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If the definition of fluent is different at the age iof 3, then how can you use that term at all then?
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Because a 3 year old is living in a different world than an adult. A 3 year old is, under normal circumstances, expected to be able to convey their feelings, be able to answer multi-part questions, be able to ask multi-part questions, be able to understand anything that is explained to them as long as it falls *within their cognitive sphere*.
To put it in easier to understand terms - you wouldn`t consider someone with a low IQ, who was able to speak, "not fluent" because their cognitive abilities were low. They`re still fluent, but just may be lacking the ability to understand the meaning behind things that are explained to them.
A 3 year old child is fluent. They just do not have the higher mental capacity of an adult, so their language usage is simplistic. In peer situations, they do not have problems related to fluency, and are usually able to understand far more advanced language... Even if they aren`t yet able to use it themselves.
I`m going to guess that you`re not around too many 3 year olds. You`re giving them too little credit. 3 year olds can do some serious talking. Especially girls. They do so smoothly and readily. When I invited you to visit a preschool classroom, I was serious about it. 3 year olds are not babies, and are capable of speaking an incredible amount.
It`s the 2 year olds that are iffy.