Racey Bear's Legacy: Metaphor as a Bridge to Children's Understanding and Expression of Abstract Concepts
Over the course of five weeks, three children were engaged in various exercises involving the observance and creation of metaphors. Before and after the exercises, the children were asked a series of questions designed to determine their understanding of and ability to express their understanding of five abstract concepts. It was found that working with metaphor enhanced their abilities to grasp the concepts, in various and surprising ways. It was also found that their abilities to express their understanding was enhanced subtly.
metaphor, abstract thought, children, conceptual domain
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