How do you explain analogies?

[jlmom]

My dd is almost 7. We have pattern blocks and a Critical Thinking book with simple analogies using the blocks. I find myself having a hard time explaining them to her. Any ideas? I tell her to try to find the changes between the first set and make the same changes in the second set. Sometimes she get it but other times she looks at me like I'm speaking Greek.

[sleepymommy]

I don't have that particular book, but another beginner analogies book. With ds6, I worked through a few problems with him first until he started to see the changes.

 

I would tell him that the pictures were similar and say" ___ is to ___ as ___ is to___".

 

We only did the analogies from time to time so he would sometimes forget and we would work through some of the older problems and it would jog his memory.

[Satori]

We also used other analogy books and I used a lot of arrows in the workbook to remind her exactly what she was doing. I might also use a highlighter and separate the two groups and then use the arrows. I'd examine the first group exclusively and talk about how they were related, then show the second group.

 

It took awhile of doing that, but then she understood.

[Ray]

I dont directly explain it like that yet. But we do have some of these things (loupes/book) http://www.the-private-eye.com/index.html Website is a bit grandiose and while we have not realized all of its amazing claims, its still a fun activity with no real downsides so its still part of our 'homeschool' :)

Edited March 18, 2011 by Ray

[Sevilla]

I talk about finding the pattern. Starting with the original - "What is the pattern here? How are they related?" and then looking for that same pattern in the options below. Focusing on 'pattern' seems to help, as well as a lot of repetition.

[nmoira]

 

I talk about finding the pattern. Starting with the original - "What is the pattern here? How are they related?" and then looking for that same pattern in the options below. Focusing on 'pattern' seems to help, as well as a lot of repetition.

You can also back up even further and start by just talking about attributes and practice sorting things into categories depending on the attribute you're looking at, e.g. shape, color, pattern, size, number, etc.