"Later on, when the children know something about how the toy actually works, they can discuss the more general principles of energy." So true, and this is why

"Later on, when the children know something about how the toy actually works, they can discuss the more general principles of energy." So true, and this is why the parents are frustrated. It seems much learning is a process of successive approximations. Not only with adding -> algebra, but more advanced things, like algebra -> number theory or geometry -> calculus. You get to _doing_ some stuff because it _works_, then you realize (or rather, someone brilliant like Leibniz realizes) there's something the same in all of these cases,