Playing is Learning with Legos

We have accumulated a large bin full of Legos over the years. Their vintage begins in the early days of construction when I was little and Legos were simple blocks. Now the collection has accumulated the more complex designs of Star Wars Ti-fighters and Indian Jones Temples collected by my sons. When I was young, we made little more than simple brick houses but most Lego sets now-a-days come with parts that allow for all types of movement on any Lego creation a child may choose to build.

With this in mind, we can begin to explore how Legos are great for learning. Whether your child is old enough and able to use directions or they simply grab a handful of these plastic bricks and start constructing, Legos are a fast-paced avenue for problem solving and learning. Consider this:

- How can I make a moving propeller on my Lego airplane and landing gear that can go up and down as needed?
- How will I fit 30 pieces of various shapes and sizes into a 4 brick x 3 brick area on my Lego platform?
- What pieces do I need when building a Lego house if I want to accommodate for a door and two windows and still have a structurally sound building?

These are just a few questions that reflect how complex thought processes develop while learning (playing) with Legos. I went on a quest to justify my ideas that “playing” with Legos is really learning. Some of the results are in my article, “Legos are Learning that K’NEX our Knowledge”.

Here I want to explore just how we can use these playful “tools” as a vehicle in learning.

"Take us to your leader!"

To begin with, Legos and K’NEX both offer great tips and lesson plans for educators at their websites.

While my eight-year-old son and I explored the Lego website, we found a wealth of ideas and fun. He played some of the online games and discovered that the website offers step-by-step instructions on building various objects (no purchase necessary!)

I also found an area to sign up for a FREE subscription to Lego Magazine. Once you are at the subscription page, select your country from the sidebar on the right and follow the directions. It is quick and easy and, best of all, it’s FREE! Kids can read the comics provided each month and also find inspiration for their building ideas.

I don’t know about your kids, but mine find inspiration just about anywhere. If it is a new movie, we might have Lego and K’NEX versions of the main characters all over our house. If they decide their stuffed animals or Barbie need a new house or couch or spaceship or car… the Lego and K’NEX bin takes center stage! Websites like Lego’s will even inspire kids to make the structures they are playing with on the Web… 2-D is now 3-D and in their hands, with problem solving skills at the helm all the way!

No Instructions Required
A dear family friend’s favorite “animal” is the frog. My darling son decided to make her one out
of Legos and K’NEX. No directions, just his imagination and experience to guide the process! (Sorry the picture is fuzzy.)

As I mentioned in my other article on Legos, directions are priceless as learning tools. My son and I built a Lego Clone Walker together. I went step-by-step with him showing him how to follow the directions and find the pieces. We were half-way done when bedtime approached. The next morning he woke early (before me!) and finished building by following the directions the way I showed him. He realized that he could build a multitude of objects just by following the directions he had saved from other building sets and the most amazing structures began to emerge from his room!

Here are some K’NEX projects we built last winter during an “Inventors” unit study we did. The chain saw, blender, and car were built by following the directions. Comparatively, the bike and rotating umbrella table were built using the skills they learned by following directions on the other objects.

(Another funky/fuzzy picture unfortunately)

Problem solving at its best. Making things work… understanding how they work… applying knowledge and skills that are obtained.

Quick Tip: We now have a table for constructing on. It usually corals the mess in one spot. However, a friend recently shared a GREAT tip with me… get an old sheet. Lay it out and have kids play with Legos on the sheet. When they are done, they need only pick up the sheet and dump the Legos back into their bin. This saves A LOT of time on clean up and you will find far less stray Legos on the floor with your feet!

As you can see, Lego learning is quite easy. Most children are already doing it without anyone realizing their play is actually logging Homeschool hours! Nevertheless, if the above paragraphs still haven’t convinced you that free form Lego “play” is learning, you can coral their ideas with the suggestions below. DON’T tell them HOW to get the end result… just give them the direction and watch them go. Let them make mistakes… they will learn from these mistakes. As I mentioned in my other article on Legos, don’t help unless they ask for help or are getting frustrated. If you see a child getting frustrated, don’t just jump in. Ask them, “Would you like me to help you?” This gives them the help they need without making them feel powerless (because they think they are still in control when you ask their permission!).

Pick one and Get it done!
- Build something as tall as yourself. It can’t fall over easily.
- Build a boat
- Build a robot. Does it do anything special?
- Build a two-story house with at least 4 windows and at least 1 door.
- Build a spaceship that can carry people and cargo.
- Construct a mode of transportation and tell about how it is used.
- Build an amusement park ride. What is it called and how much does it cost to ride?
- Build a pyramid.
- Build something that uses only one color of Legos.
- Build a musical instrument, play it, and make up a song.
- Build something that spins.
- Build a pet. Name it. Can it do tricks? What does it like to eat?
- Construct a town or city. What is the name of your town? Tell about:
o Some fun places to go in it
o Some of the jobs people have
o Where people shop and eat
o Special laws

You can also practice listening skills using Legos (or K’NEX). In “The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas” (2002) Linda Dobson suggests:
Give two children the same number and sizes of pieces of Legos or any other building set with lots of duplicate pieces. Have them sit back to back or in another way in which they can hear but can’t see each other. Ask one child to build something from his pieces. Now the fun begins.
This child must give directions to the other child so that she can build the same thing—no peeking! Have the children take turns building and giving directions. Watch them try hard to figure out what went wrong, and communicate better the next time.
As the children grow and/or get better at the game, you can set a time limit and/or add more pieces to build a more complex model.

Whatever you decide to do… just have fun and know that learning can and should be fun!

… Don’t forget, if you have a Visual/Spatial learner, especially one with ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, or any Auditory Processing Disorder, hands-on activities are the best way to teach and learn!

Resources:
Dobson, Linda. The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2002.

Visual Learning and Math Facts

I have read different articles and books to grasp a better understanding of my children's learning challenges. One thing that is repeated in all my research is that they need to use as many of their senses as possible in all that they strive to learn. Needless to say, laziness is not an option for any of us!

Last year I found a book by Scholastic called, "Fun-Flap Facts, Multiplication"

It seemed like a good idea since it appeals to 2-3 of the senses not to mention my 10-year-old daughter was/is really into "fortune tellers" which is the concept of these sheets (as you can see).

Fun Flap Facts are a hit in my household (when I remember to drive them to using them!). The flaps in these fortune tellers are filled with all sorts of anecdotes. There are questions like, "Name the 12 months backwards" under the answer to 2x6. There are tongue twisters and silly sentences like, "2 kings asked 4 queens if they ate." under 2x4. Most of all they are just plain fun!

My 6-year-old is soaking up math facts right now but, obviously, not ready for multiplication. I haven't been able to find Fun-Flap Facts in any other form then multiplication. I realized it wouldn't be so hard to make other fact tables in this format as the kids are ready to work on them. So here she is, my darling 6-year-old, with her "fortune teller" which is helping her to learn her 2+ facts :-)
I put numbers on the top flaps that she has been needing to work on recognizing such as 6 and 9 which she still confuses sometimes. 12 is often mistaken for 21 and 10 was needed for reinforcement. I drew pictures with her input so it has some visual appeal. When she wants me to do a fortune I will pick, for example, "Bunny, but what number is that?" She is always excited to tell me and it reinforces the skills :-)

I actually like this better then the Scholastic book because I can customize it to what we are studying and what skills the kids need to work on most (such as the 12 vs. 21 I am working on with my 6-year-old). I even added trivia like, "Name 2 planets" since we are still working on our solar system study.

If anyone sees and likes this idea but thinks, "I can't draw", do not despair. You can use stickers! If you want directions on how to fold a fortune teller, just email and I will send them to you.

The Joy of Homeschooling ADHD and Dyslexic Children

My oldest daughter was diagnosed with ADHD a couple years ago. Her scores were pretty high on the chart. We expected this diagnoses because, from a very young age, she had exhibited the a-typical symptoms of this "disability".

I hate that word, "disability". That label is what turned my husband off from the beginning. He has only recently begun to be responsive to her, shall we say, difference when it is referred to in a way other than "disability". Can you blame him?

Studies show that dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, and other visual/spacial anomalies in learning are on the rise. I personally think it is a gift from God. These "disabilities", that I will instead refer to as "giftedness", coincide with a period in time when the jobs in high demand have to do with concept. Visual/spacial learners can "see", within their minds, the concept of how something functions and how it should act. In a highly technological society, this ability is very advantageous. You can't "see" the World Wide Web or the functions of a mother board with your eyes. You can only grasp their concepts in a more figurative/imaginative way. The way that children, like mine, grasp things most naturally.

So what does this have to do with homeschooling? Well today as an example, my "gifted" children can not attend to any one activity for an extended period of time. Especially my ADHD child. We are trying to do charts so they can visualize some information on the solar system. But it does require some more reality based/logical attention that just does not come as easily to these two. In their past public school days situations like today would coincide with a call from the teacher. You know, the one where you are told your child had to be set at their own private area because they wouldn't sit still. They were held in from recess because they couldn't focus to finish the tail end of 3 hours straight of school work. All the calls and meetings that I dreaded. Even when they had the diagnoses and would still look at me like, 'what is wrong with your child... why can't they act "normal"'.

But they are normal. They are wonderful. And today, when they just couldn't sit any longer to work on their math/science, I could easily say.... "RECESS"!! After all, we had been working for almost an hour straight with great results. That is a lot for one child whose eyes tire from the strain of dyslexia and another whose body emanates with ADHD.

And so, as they gear up for some snow play and I type this blog, I have peace of mind knowing that when they get back in with their energy somewhat spent, we can re-focus and finish our work for the day. AND, I will not be getting a call from the school or a note home from any teachers stating that my kids couldn't focus today.... 'please do this additional homework tonight so your child is ready for class tomorrow' when we will likely go through it all again!