A math teacher asked seven-year-old Mica, “If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have in your bag?”
Mica smiled and said confidently, “Four!”
Dismayed, the teacher repeated the question more slowly. "Mica, listen. If I give you one apple...and one apple...and one apple, how many apples will you have?”
Mica saw the disappointment on his teacher’s face. He wanted to make her happy, so he calculated carefully before saying hesitantly, “Four.”
The teacher looked even more disappointed. Then she remembered that Mica liked strawberries. She smiled encouragingly and asked, “How about if I give you one strawberry, and one strawberry, and one strawberry, how many strawberries you will have in your bag?”
Seeing the teacher happy, Mica relaxed. He calculated on his fingers again. With a hopeful smile, he replied, “Three?”
The teacher smiled victoriously and congratulated herself. But one thing remained, and that was to see if Mica could transfer the learning to apples. Once again she asked, “Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many apples will you have in your bag?”
Mica promptly answered, “Four!”
The teacher was aghast. “Mica, how?” she demanded. “You clearly can add. Why do you say three strawberries but four apples?”
Uncertainly Mica replied, “Because I already have one apple in my bag.”
Communication is often a matter of perspective.
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