See What Children Know
Click on the thumbnail to watch this video inside our video library. Most block-building sets are composed of geometric shapes that stack and align with one another. What new forms of play do we see when we add dowels that fit into holes in a disk that revolves? In this video clip we present children at different ages using Torno Torno from Learning Materials Workshop,including some of the play forms that, as a sequence, represent higher and higher levels of thinking. You might find it useful to take a developmental perspective as you co-play with children using these or similar blocks. The addition of a rotating platform adds some interesting variations that children love to explore, such as where the lead block will stop. The entire clip is divided into 7 segments, each treated as a more complex play form than the previous segments. The segments are separated by a few seconds of black, and the beginning of each segment is identified in the text, using the time code in the lower right side of the video window. We eliminated the sound track so that you can look more closely at the action.
To purchase and download a high-resolution version of Stages of Block Play on a Lazy Susan, plus our text analysis of the experience, click here.
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Notes from the Field
We are delighted to announce that after a two-year hiatus, Boulder Journey School, which is the source of most of the Videatives video, is once again hosting a summer conference, Classroom Experiences as Catalysts: Contemporary Conversations Surrounding Early Childhood Education. Presentations, discussions and materials workshops will include the use of technology in early childhood classrooms, evaluating our understanding of materials, and video as a tool for self-reflection. For more information and to register for this conference, please go to www.boulderjourneyschool.com
