Educational Theory of the Week: Analysis

Educational Theory of the Week covers different theories that teachers use and impact our children. They can easily be applied outside of a classroom setting. 

Last week, I wrote about application. The next step in Bloom's Taxonomy is analysis. Analysis is taking a complex idea and breaking it down. What is considered a "complex idea" of course, depends on the child.

Questions

You can ask your child several questions when working the analytical part of Bloom's Taxonomy.

Can you tell the difference between ___ and ___?
What could have happened at the end of the story?
Why would he have done that?
What made him mad? Why?
Have you seen that before? Was this time different or the same?


Application to Ty, age 3


Ty has a favorite book right now, William the Vehicle King. Quite honestly, I'm ready to return it to the library because the second I finish it, he wants me to read it again. It's one of those books -- the ones both parents have memorized. Anyway, to spark things up and keep my sanity, I ask Ty lots of analytical questions about the story which he patiently thinks over.

Basically, there is a little boy who plays with cars and they crash. (This, of course, is why he loves it). As William lines up his cars, I ask Ty what he thinks of the line. Is it straight? Should he watch for the door opening? Is it smart to put cars on a cat? Why would a cat not like cars on it? Do cats like to move around? Why would William do this? Is he in a hurry?

More than likely, you ask these sort of questions when dealing with your child, such as reading books or with his behavior. You probably already ask analytical questions. Also, do you see how analysis questions build off the lower part of Bloom's Taxonomy? Typically, children already engaged knowledge, comprehension, and application, like Ty knows what a car and a cat are, and that cars are rough and cats don't like roughness. 


Audience

Here is a struggle of mine -- I almost always relate ideas to literature, former English teacher and all. How can you apply analysis to other areas, maybe math? Any ideas?