Setup: Noella(7) is doing some homework.
Noella: Dad, what's the date today?
Andy: March 4th.
<Noella writes on her paper.>
Noella: Dad... if it were 2005, the date would be “counting”: 3/4/5.
Andy: Nice observation. When will we have a "counting day" this year?
<Noella thinks for a while.>
Noella: October 11th.
Andy: Good job. And next year?
<Short pause.>
Noella: November 12th.
Andy: And the next year?
<Almost no pause.>
Noella: December 13th.
Andy: And what about the next year?
Noella: There isn't one.
Andy: That's right. This is pretty special, isn't it?
Noella: Yeah.
<Brief pause.>
Andy: What's special about today?
Noella: It's Sunday?
Andy: No, I mean about the numbers.
Noella [puzzled]: They add up to 7?
Andy: That's true, but can you use 3 and 4 to get to 12?
Noella [epiphany]: 3 times 4 is 12. And 4 times 3 is also 12.
I love that Ella is "seeing math in the wild". It's not unexpected, given both nature and nurture, but it still brings a smile to my face.
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