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In a recent study published in Mind, Brain and Education , researchers at Temple's Infant Lab found there are some very realbenefits to playing with that old toy classic - blocks. Parents and researchers have long speculated that play withconstruction toys might offer a rich environment that would supportlater learning in the science, technology, engineering andmathematics (STEM) disciplines. The study led by Katrina Ferrara found that when playing withblocks under interactive conditions, children hear the kind oflanguage that helps them think about space, such as "over,""around" and "through." "When parents use spatial language, they draw attention to spatialconcepts," said Nora Newcombe, co-director of Temple's Infant Lab."The development of a spatial vocabulary is critical for developingspatial ability and awareness." Spatial skills are important for success in the STEM disciplines,but they are also involved in many everyday tasks, such as packingthe trunk of a car or assembling a crib. They are a central component of intellect and, as those whostruggle finding their way around a new city can attest, they showmarked individual differences. "There is evidence that variations in the spatial language youngchildren hear, which directs their attention to important aspectsof the spatial environment, may be one of the mechanisms thatcontribute to differences in spatial ability," says Newcombe, whois also the Principal Investigator of the Spatial Intelligence andLearning Center (SILC), headquartered at Temple. To investigate how play affects variations in language,investigators observed children and parents in one of threesituations: 1.) in "free" play, where the subjects are encouragedto play with the blocks as they would at home; 2.) in"preassembled" play, where the subject are given blocks that havebeen glued together in a preformed, fixed structure; and 3.) in"guided" play, where the subjects are given the blocks along withgraphic instructions for creating a particular structure. Parents in the guided play condition produced significantly higherproportions of spatial talk than parents in the other twoconditions, and children in the guided play condition producedsignificantly more spatial talk than those in the free playcondition. "This study gives parents news they can use. It shows that, ratherthan leaving kids alone with a preassembled activity, interactiveplay that draws out conversation is best at facilitating spatialdevelopment," Newcombe said. Additional References Citations. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Electronic Cabinets and Enclosures , China Bagging Scale for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Pellet Mill Machine.
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