Pre-language 

• what is that sound 
• where did the thing go 
• the persistence of things 
• what do we think and how do we feel about sense data 
• bouncing 
• tickling 
• funny faces 
• one of your grandfathers is pretty loud 
• very basic animism, respect for objects, persons, creatures, plants 
• improvised songs 
• electronic music for babies 
• Bach and before, Ives and after 

Proto-language 

• more improvised songs 
• continued basic animism 
• let’s knock down that thing 
• be nice to houseplants 
• how patient are cats likely to be 
• sounds you can make, and how to turn them into running jokes 
• the grumpy face 
• words words words 
• listening (part 1)
• how to participate in a high-church anglican service as a baby 

Early language 

• stories 
• when to be quiet and how to be loud 
• paying attention to things 
• basic history of science 
• basic history of technology 
• running 
• swordfighting with changeable rules 
• the computer will do what you tell it to, but you have to be gentle with it 
• groundwork for a later explanation of the travesties of American history 
• freeform drawing 
• tricks of representation 
• old English folk songs in various formats 
• how to use the Book of Common Prayer 
• things we generally don’t do and why 
• electronic music for kids 
• Bach to Brahms 
• never get violent 
• when and how to be serious 

Adequate language 

• everything has a history 
• Runciman’s Crusades so you’re inoculated against Gibbon’s prejudice against the Byzantines 
• Battle Cry of Freedom with extensive commentary on the travesties of American history 
• Empire of the Steppes 
• a summary of Guns, Germs, and Steel 
• a summary of 1491 
• Arthur Waley’s translation of Monkey 
• the other usual books 
• drawing some shapes 
• more games 
• as much math as seems plausible
• discussion of theories of history 
• not acting too smart around people we don’t know 
• advanced listening
• more running 
• how to understand machines 
• cybernetics, semiotics, and logic
• restraint 
• what we are doing when we attend church 

Later 

• limits of epistemology 
• people to not be like and why 
• discretion 
• selected fiction 
• various essayists who write entertainingly but should be approached with fundamental skepticism 
• Shakespeare 
• our feelings about schmaltz/kitsch 
• Philip Glass 
• John Cage and why he is so funny 
• a sensibility 
• what is to be done 
• an overview of the books we have in the house 
• the trick to doing things is just doing things