Eli & Abstraction: The difference between a rock and the number 2 (with a brief discussion of Wednesday)

Eli’s teachers and his parents have noted that it’s hard to tell whether Eli understands abstraction.  What is abstraction, anyway?  I’m hard-pressed to define it clearly for myself.  More importantly, any definition I might come up with would probably be more confusing to Eli than an example.

On a recent walk up Bowen Hill, I broached the subject.  “Eli, do you know the word ‘abstract’?”  (In circumstances like this, I’ve found it best to start with how to spell a word.  It’s easier to get Eli interested in something when I come at it via one of his strengths.  Also, I’ve found that he quickly loses interest in my long descriptions, so I try to opt for short sentences and lots of questions.)

Spelling is easy for Eli.  He guesses at the correct spelling on his first try.  My next question, “What does it mean?”

“Um, I don’t know.”

“Well, I don’t really know either, but I can tell you something that definitely is abstract.  Can I tell you?”

“Sure!”

“The number 2.”

“What?”

“The number 2.”

“Oh.”

“So, tell me about the number 2.  Can you put it in your pocket?”

“No.”

“Can you pick it up and throw it at that tree?”

“No.”

“What about that rock, there.  Can you pick it up and throw it at that tree?”  (We’ve had several walks that devolved into rock-throwing, so my suspicion is that he’s very familiar with the tangible nature of rocks.)

“Yes.”

“So, that rock is not abstract.  It’s real.  Oops.  Hm, the number two is real too, right?”

“Right!”

“So that rock is the opposite of abstract.  It’s concrete.  Hm.  Well, concrete is confusing maybe.  Let’s use another word, tangible.  That rock is tangible – you can pick it up, feel it, put it in your pocket, throw it, whatever.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Does that make sense?  …the difference between a rock and the number 2?”

“Yes.”

“OK, so what about Wednesday?”

“What about Wednesday?”

“Yeah.  Is Wednesday like a rock, or the number 2?”

“The number 2.”

“OK, but is Wednesday like the number 2, or a rock?”

“The number 2.”

“Can you put Wednesday in your pocket?”

“No.”

“Can you throw Wednesday at that tree?”

“No.”

In that moment, Eli seemed to get what I meant.  And so, I am hopeful and curious about where we will go with this idea the next time we talk about it.