Child’s Play and Spatial Vocabulary Development
Posted on November 3rd, 2011 by Debra
This Science Daily article refers to research about how playing with blocks increases spatial development. Interaction during this play time also increases spatial vocabulary.
The researchers found that when playing with blocks under interactive conditions, children hear the kind of language that helps them think about space, such as “over,” “around” and “through.”
So, is there an age limit to playing with children’s toys in the classroom to learn these prepositions? Some classes are academic leaning and don’t allow for much play. However, other groups might be willing to play around, especially if it helps them master prepositions reflecting spatial concepts that are often difficult to explain with words and pictures only.
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I remember teaching prepositions in a beginning-level French class at a university and crawling under and climbing on the table to illustrate ‘on’ and ‘under’.
“Through” and “above” were always hard ones for me. Thank you for visiting!