Show HN: Made this with my daughter to help kids ages 2 to 4 learn logic

Post by mflyingget » Fri, Dec 27, 2019, 8:14 AM UTC

Post by BenoitP » Fri, Dec 27, 2019, 8:48 AM UTC

beachy wrote: post #109

I've found with two of my kids that they were really into paper-based logic puzzles using logic gates. I draw up a heap of multi-input AND and OR gates, and some inverters, then wire them together in more or less random ways. Then put 0 or 1 on all of the inputs, and get the kids to work out what some given output will be. The good things I've found are: - This seems easily within reach of my kids from age 5 or so, p…

Post by tmerr » Fri, Dec 27, 2019, 10:13 AM UTC

stakhanov wrote: post #43

popnroll wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about "none" instead of zero?

...doesn't help either. The problem is that when you ask "How many blue cats are bouncing?" you are stating that blue cats are in existence. So there'd have to be some, not none. There'd have to be a number strictly greater than zero. So zero/none can't be the answer, or you're somehow breaking the rules of the game of logic, or how the computer game is set up. If, however, you say "How many cats are blue and bouncin…

    def all(xs, predicate):
        for x in xs:
            if not predicate(x):
                return False
        return True

    def any(xs, predicate):
        for x in xs:
            if predicate(x):
                return True
        return False

    A. all({}, predicate) is true by def of all
    B. any({}, NOT predicate) is false by def of any
    C. NOT all({}, predicate} is false follows from A
    D. applying the rewrite rule to C, any({}, NOT predicate) is true, which contradicts B.

Post by tom_mellior » Fri, Dec 27, 2019, 11:15 AM UTC

robbrown451 wrote: post #50

mosseater wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree with the number arrangement bit. I'd imagine kids are learning to use the keyboard whilst using a computer's browse. 0 placement is on point with what's in front of them.

That's an interesting point. I still prefer zero on the right (and remember, they'll see them laid out that way in lots of other contexts, such as preschool worksheets). I was going to suggest they add a feature to make it accept numbers entered via the the keyboard, but I figured I should check first if they've already done so. They did. :)

Post by tom_mellior » Fri, Dec 27, 2019, 11:18 AM UTC

robbrown451 wrote: post #48

tom_mellior wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thinking about this some more, I think the UI should really be more about marking the selected cats than counting them. Then there could be nice diagnostics saying "you missed these ones", or "you marked this one which is X but not Y".

I think that would be a different game (or puzzle, or whatever you call this), and a dumbed down one. Maybe better referred to as "one that is aimed at younger kids." Taking away the counting is reducing the thinking they have to do. If that's your goal, ok, but I personally think the counting, while mixed in with the "set logic" part, is an important component. I could agree that you could have two modes, where that…