Shared by Mrs Gosal...

I heard the most brilliant conversation between two of our Casa students as I walked down the hallway today. They were discussing with passion the definition of "a sweater". They were so engrossed in their conversation that they did not even notice I was there watching and listening.

The younger student stretched the sweater she was wearing out toward her friend and said firmly "This is not a shirt, IT IS A SWEATER". The second student (who is older) looked at her and said "Well I call it a shirt". The younger student continued "No, it is a sweater because it does not have buttons and I have long sleeves". The older student looked at her friend carefully and said "You are right. You put that on over your head, like a t-shirt". The younger student pointed out "But a t-shirt has short sleeves and I have long sleeves. This can't be a t-shirt. This is my sweater". The older student again looked at her friend and said "You are right. You have long sleeves and you put it over your head; it's a sweater and I like it". The older student was quiet for a moment and then said to her younger friend, "But I have a sweater that I put my arms in and it has buttons all the way down the front"... both girls looked puzzled and then the younger student smiled and said "That is called a cardigan!". And with this they both walked back into their class.

In this simple conversation, so much happened. The girls had a peaceful debate. They shared their opinions with confidence. They listened to one another. The exchange of vocabulary was fantastic. They were able to reason and make comparisons. And most importantly, they were able to carry on with their day as friends!