How | Might A Psychiatrist Describe A Paper Plate Math Worksheet Answers

Some children stare at the paper plate for 20 minutes, then write “0” or “I don’t know” in shaky handwriting. One child wrote: “There is none left because I would eat it.”

Another child might have shaded exactly half the plate, then shaded half of that , then half of that , until the plate was a chaotic spiral of tiny wedges. When asked to stop, they kept going.

My friend was frustrated. I was fascinated. Here is how a psychiatrist might describe the behavior behind those “wrong” answers on a paper plate math worksheet.