Where do I even begin when it comes to the value of block building in early childhood development? Building with blocks allows children to "learn by doing" which is a central idea expressed by educational philosopher, John Dewey. Children who build with blocks learn about science, math, social/emotional development, and the list goes on. The value of blocks can be seen beyond the early childhood years as well. My first exposure to the idea of blocks being present in classrooms "beyond kindergarten" was at Teachers College, Columbia University. A doctoral student in my department was investigating the benefit of children in upper-elementary classrooms having access to building blocks. This was a new idea for me. I couldn't imagine 4th graders playing with blocks in the classroom. But when you think about it, a 4th grader is still in the "concrete-operational" stage of development according to Piaget, learning by actively engaging (manipulating testing, investigating) with their world. Blocks are the perfect medium!
Along the same lines are other constructing materials such as Legos. My neighbor boy (4th grader) creates unbelievable Lego ships/planes/vehicles and the thought process that goes into building these is most definitely building his spatial skills!
I've beefed up the block area in my classroom, by adding cars/trucks/people/animals.... although it's still a work in progress. I need more blocks! I'm hoping to apply for a grant to bring blocks to other classrooms in our school, beyond Kindergarten. Convincing others that blocks beyond kindergarten is a good idea might be another job in itself!
Stay tuned for more about blocks....
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