Nursery World - Brick work

Playing with construction sets is a vital component in children's mathematical development. Julian Grenier explains how to build learning opportunities. Building with bricks and blocks has been a central feature of early childhood education since they were included in Froebel's kindergarten in the 1830s. The power of Froebel's blocks to support children's mathematical development lay in their strict proportions, building up from the one square inch blocks. Their plainness encouraged children to be involved in the pure shapes, forms and sizes of the bricks.

Building with bricks and blocks has been a central feature of early childhood education since they were included in Froebel's kindergarten in the 1830s. The power of Froebel's blocks to support children's mathematical development lay in their strict proportions, building up from the one square inch blocks. Their plainness encouraged children to be involved in the pure shapes, forms and sizes of the bricks.

A set of maple wood blocks is a big investment for any setting, providing good value for money by lasting - and appealing to children - for decades. However, since many settings will not have a set of blocks, this article looks more widely at the role of construction play in children's early mathematical thinking.

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