Establishing Premise Sets
Level 8
~5 years, 4 mo old
Oct 5 - 11, 2020
🚧 Content Planning
Initial research phase. Tools and protocols are being defined.
Rationale & Protocol
At 5 years old (approx. 279 weeks), formal deductive reasoning and the abstract concept of 'establishing premise sets' are far beyond reach. Therefore, our focus is on foundational, precursor skills that lay the cognitive groundwork for this complex ability. For a 5-year-old, 'establishing premise sets' translates into:
- Attribute Identification and Differentiation: The ability to observe, name, and compare distinct properties (color, shape, size, texture) of objects.
- Categorization and Classification: Grouping objects based on one or more shared attributes, thereby implicitly forming 'sets' defined by certain 'premises' (e.g., 'all red things', 'all big circles').
- Verbalization of Rules and Similarities: Articulating why objects belong together or what shared characteristics define a group. This practice solidifies the understanding of what constitutes a 'premise' for a given collection.
The Learning Resources Attribute Blocks are the best-in-class tool for this developmental stage because they directly and concretely address these precursor skills. They allow children to engage in multi-attribute sorting and categorization, which is the experiential equivalent of defining the conditions (premises) that determine group membership. Their versatility—varying in shape, color, size, and thickness—enables children to explore numerous 'premise sets' and verbalize the rules that govern them.
Implementation Protocol for a 5-year-old:
- Free Exploration (Week 1): Allow the child to freely manipulate the blocks, naming shapes, colors, and sizes. This familiarizes them with the 'data' they'll be working with.
- Single-Attribute Sorting (Week 2): Introduce simple sorting tasks based on one attribute. "Can you put all the red blocks together?" "Now, find all the squares." Encourage the child to verbalize the rule: "These are all red!"
- Dual-Attribute Sorting (Week 3-4): Increase complexity by asking for two attributes. "Find all the large, blue blocks." "Can you make a pile of small, thick circles?" This directly prompts the child to identify and combine multiple 'premises' ('large' AND 'blue') to define a set.
- Verbalizing Combined Rules (Week 5): After sorting, ask the child to explain their grouping. "What's the rule for this group of blocks?" "What do all these blocks have in common?" This develops the ability to articulate the 'premise set'.
- Exclusion/Negation (Week 6): Introduce the concept of 'not'. "Find all the blocks that are not red." This helps define boundaries and reinforces the understanding of what falls within or outside a 'premise'.
- Patterning with Rules (Ongoing): Create simple ABAB or ABC patterns with the blocks and ask the child to continue, then state the 'rule' of the pattern. This connects premises to sequence and prediction.
Primary Tool Tier 1 Selection
Learning Resources Attribute Blocks Set
This comprehensive set of attribute blocks is globally recognized for its efficacy in developing early logical reasoning. For a 5-year-old, it provides concrete objects to manipulate, which is crucial for abstract concept development. The varying attributes (shape: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, hexagon; color: red, blue, yellow; size: large, small; thickness: thick, thin) allow for an extensive range of sorting and classification activities. This directly translates to establishing 'premise sets' at an age-appropriate level, as children learn to define groups based on one or more shared properties (e.g., 'all small, yellow, thick shapes'). The tactile nature aids engagement, and the open-ended design fosters critical thinking and verbal articulation of rules.
Also Includes:
DIY / No-Tool Project (Tier 0)
A "No-Tool" project for this week is currently being designed.
Alternative Candidates (Tiers 2-4)
ThinkFun Rush Hour Junior Logic Game
A sliding block logic game where players must strategically move vehicles to free their ice cream truck from a traffic jam.
Analysis:
While excellent for developing sequential logic, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving, Rush Hour Junior's primary focus is on *applying* given rules (how vehicles move, which ones block) to solve a puzzle. It's less about the explicit *identification and articulation* of attributes that define a premise set, which is the core precursor skill for 'Establishing Premise Sets' at this age. The 'premises' are largely inherent in the game's mechanics rather than being actively identified and defined by the child.
Montessori Geometric Solids with Bases
A set of wooden 3D geometric shapes with corresponding bases, used for exploring geometry and classification.
Analysis:
These solids are superb for identifying specific geometric attributes (faces, edges, vertices) and for tactile exploration of shapes. However, for 'Establishing Premise Sets', their utility is more limited compared to attribute blocks. The geometric solids primarily allow for classification based on 3D form, whereas attribute blocks offer a broader, more versatile combination of attributes (shape, color, size, thickness) that can be combined in complex ways (e.g., 'all large, red, thick, square objects'), which more directly mirrors the combinatorial nature of premises.
What's Next? (Child Topics)
"Establishing Premise Sets" evolves into:
Empirical Premise Formation
Explore Topic →Week 791Conceptual Premise Formation
Explore Topic →This dichotomy distinguishes between premises established through sensory experience, observation, or verifiable data (empirical) and those established through definitions, logical truths, axioms, or abstract principles (conceptual). Together, these two categories comprehensively cover the fundamental sources for establishing premises in deductive reasoning.