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ERIC Number: EJ1060285
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1068-6177
EISSN: N/A
Building Curriculum during Block Play
Andrews, Nicole
Dimensions of Early Childhood, v43 n1 p11-15 2015
Blocks are not just for play! In this article, Nicole Andrews describes observing the interactions of three young boys enthusiastically engaged in the kindergarten block center of their classroom, using blocks in a building project that displayed their ability to use critical thinking skills, physics exploration, and the development of language and social skills. She observed how the children's actions demonstrated their abilities to use oral language communication, cooperative play, sharing, and problem solving during the construction of a car ramp. In explaining the benefits of blocks, she notes: (1) block building projects can be assigned for the class as a whole or to individuals; (2) blocks come in all forms and shapes, allowing children to explore both indoors and outdoor activity usages; (3) tasks can be related to specific math skills such as numeracy and geometry or other skills; and (4) assessing student abilities, likes, and dislikes can provide other opportunities for learning. This one activity is just an example of how a child-centered curriculum allows students to help their teachers build the curriculum and highlights how observing students during block play can spark a plethora of ideas!
Southern Early Childhood Association. PO Box 8109 Jacksonville, AR 72078. Tel: 501-221-1648. e-mail: info@seca.info; Web site: https:// www.seca.info/dimensions
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Kindergarten; Primary Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A