All children’s names have been changed.
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Example by Ute Bleienheuft, Cologne
There were several children playing in the corner for construction materials, among them one six years old gifted boy. He observed a small boy who had sat down inside an empty wooden box. The older boy was apparently so outraged about this that he raised his voice and declared:
“You mustn’t sit in that wooden box, it’ll break. Then the kindergarten has to spend money on a new one again, the box has to be built, wood must be cut and put together and then also a big old tree has to be felled.”
The little boy kept quite and climbed out of the box immediately. The other children in the group had fallen silent and listened to that explanation with great amazement.
Published in German: April 2011
Example by Hanna Vock, Bonn
Every day five-year-old Sven approached his kindergarten teacher with another question:
„In this war there are children being killed. Grown-ups kill children.”
„They have blown up a bridge. Now people can’t cross the river any more, even if someone suddenly gets ill, he can’t get to the hospital quick enough.”
“Why can’t they just quit the war?“
“Couldn’t someone just make them quit the war and rebuild everything really quickly?”
”Don’t they feel sorry for the children and the babies?”
So, Sven was concerning himself with the event of „war, death and destruction“, even though his parents were trying to shield him from such issues. They didn’t want to talk about war with their son, because they believed, he was too young to deal with it. Sven, however, was able to read, he would catch sight of headlines in the papers and above all had a vivid imagination, came up with images and ideas and pondered them.
These “big grown-up issues” had risen early in Sven’s psychological and intellectual development and he wanted to find answers. There was no containment of this nor could this process be reversed.
More on this case can be found under On Gifted Preschool Children s Reasoning and Emotion .
Date of publication in German: February, 2nd 2010
Example by Nazlı Baykuş, Remscheid
During the morning circle. We are discussing the story of St. Martin and the poor man. My colleague asks: “Are there still poor people who live in the street and have to beg?” Some children shout ”Yes!”.
I ask: “What does it mean to be poor?” One child says: “If you don’t have any money.” I ask: “Where does the money come from?”. Peter (5;9) answers: “From the bank. It’s in the account. The man you work for puts it into your account.“
I ask: „Yes, that’s true. And what about, if you don’t work? Do you get money then?” – “Yes, then the bank gives the money.”, says Peter.
I say: “No, unfortunately the bank doesn’t give money if it hasn’t been put into the account before. Have you heard of the employment agency before?”
The conversation turns into a dialogue between Peter and myself. Peter straightens his posture, sits upright on his feet now. (We’re sitting on the floor.) He answers the question: “Yes, they find jobs for people who have no work.” I say: „Yes, that’s true. The people who work at the agency help other people to find work. Until they find new work, the agency gives them money. That’s called unemployment benefits. It’s less money than what you get if you work. And if they still don’t have work after one year, there is the welfare system. Welfare is even less than unemployment benefits.”
Peter looks astonished, his eyes wide open. We finish the morning circle. The children stand up. Peter says.: „Nazli, it’s really better if the people work. They get more money and they can buy more food and clothes.”
Date of publication in German: July, 8th 2010
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Copyright © Hanna Vock 2010, see Imprint.
Translated by Arno Zucknick