23 Jun 2009

Conversations with Sophia

My grand daughter is a terrific conversationalist. Yes... you'll wonder what a 23 month old toddler has to say. This is part of her conversation with me today. I'd gone to her house to pay her a visit after class and lucky for me she had not taken her afternoon nap yet. First thing she did once I had sat down beside her was to tell me - "Nenek read book."
"okay," I said. "What book do you want to read?" I showed her the ones that were lying on the table. At each one she shook her head. "Thomas," she said. I looked through and sure enough there's one on Thomas the train engine. After going through that book and pointing to me all the hiding places of Thomas and friends, she wanted "another book". She speaks quite clearly and cand easily be understood. No baby talk for her. In fact when Jona the Filipino maid told her that she could tell Sophie a story, she told Jona in no uncertain terms - "Jona don know how!"
We then went through all her favourite books after which time Jona told her she has to take her nap. Our little princess shook her head and said clearly, "Doh wan!" Next she climbed the chair next to the sofa and stood on the arms, balancing herself against the wall.
" Sophia so high" was her next comment.
Yes, I said, but be careful. You'll fall.
"Sophia so high now. Oh Oh... Sophia too high, Sophia cannot climb down."
This is said with glee... she knows she's being naughty but enjoys the sensation.
The maid tries to get her to climb down from the chair but the intrepid climber refuses, repeating, "Sophia too high... Sophia stuck! Sophia cannot come down! Sophia stuck because Sophia too high. Sophia cannot come down."
All this is said with great relish. The emphasis is on the word "stuck". That she had the word in her vocabulary amazes me. That she could use cause and effect clearly astounds me. This little girl is one fast learner. I wonder what she'll be able to say once she can master language.
She understands most words and recognises most of the animals in her picture books. While reading her the book on farm animals I showed her a picture of a cow and said - Is that a pig? She looked at me in surprise as if to say -"How can you not know?" and told me rather disdainfully - "Nooo... that's a cow!" Yes, she can say "that's" and many of my university kids can't even use that, often saying phrases like"that's means..."

She can count from 1 to 10 and understands the mathematics of it. I'm not bragging, just amazed.For example she knows how many is 2 0r 3. "Sophia has 2 ears. Pooh bear has 2 ears too." Then looking at me ,"Nenek also have 2 ears."
Yes darling... all the better to hear you talk.

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