This document discusses the benefits of block play for preschool-aged children. Block play helps children develop skills in STEM subjects like science, technology, engineering, and math. It allows children to learn through exploration and experimentation. Setting up an effective block center involves determining an appropriate size and location, choosing furniture to define the space, facilitating easy cleanup, and selecting age-appropriate blocks. When playing with blocks, children can develop skills in areas like problem-solving, creativity, imagination, self-expression, and math concepts. Teachers can support learning by observing children's block play and asking questions.

1. Using Block Play
 Jaleya Chambers

2. INTRODOUCTION
BACKGROUND
Block play has been and is still is a
favorite learning center in
preschool/daycare and elementary
classroom to promote STEM. There is a
major benefit when children tend to use
block play to promote science, technology,
engineering and as well as, mathematics;
this is a versatile learning opportunities
block play has presented. However,
children can learn a variety of skills and
gain a more comprehensive understanding
of the concepts they are being to learn
inside classrooms just by playing with
blocks. When child play with blocks it helps
children nurture and develop skills in the
four different curriculums I have stated
above.

3. preschool block learning center
Children tend to learn best through play and
experimenting with their environment, which
is why so many children enjoy playing with
blocks.
Block play also helps children learn to work
with other children which allows them to
have a creative design opportunities.
There are few steps that can help example
how to set up a block center that will help
benefit the preschool children in a
classroom or daycare setting.
Let's go to the next page to see how!!

4. Settings for block playing for preschool
Step 1
Determine the size
and location of
your block center
Step 2
choose the
furniture that will
work best in the
allocated space
Step 3
facilitate easy
clean up storage
containers for
children
Step 4
make sure to pick
the right blocks
for the children in
your care
Step 5
putting it all
together

5. Step 1: determine
the size and location
of your clock center
This is to say the size and location of your block
center is determined by several factors; this is with
the overall size of the room, the total amount of
learning centers in the room, the number of children
in your facility/care, and the number of children using
this center at one time.
Note to remember that most learning centers
accommodate 3-4 children at a time but must have
space for children if you have limited space
Block centers can become noisy so you might want to
place this center near other center that have a loud
noise as well such as dramatic play center, nature
and science center, sand and water center, or even
the music and movement center.

6. STEP 2: choose the furniture that best works in
the allocated space
 to be able to give the children more
and comfortable space to build
their structures and interact with
other children you must have space
structures, either choose a carpet
or play mat that fits within this
space area. However carpets can
be used to define the area for
children to build
 Storage furniture is very important
to have in your block center it
provides a fantastic divider between
centers.

7. Step 3: Facilitate an easy clean up storage
containers
 In your classroom if you do not
have space or enough space for a
block organizer or need to have
additional storage, you can provide
a block center organizer with
storage tubs and containers. Make
sure to label each container with a
picture or descriptions of the
blocks that are supposed to be
stored into the right bin being that
their younger children. This tends
to make it easier when it is clean up
time.

8. Step 4: make sure to pick the right blocks for the
children in your care
 The blocks the you choose to for center should
be for the specific age group being that these re
younger children this center should interact with
the lesson and activity you can do with your
class.
 There are a few different ways to help teachers
pick the right blocks for your center. There are:
1. Block people and animals
2. Infant and toddler blocks ( these blocks help
young children develop basic motor and
coordination skills.)
3. Lego blocks
4. Magnetic building sets
5. Soft blocks
6. Unit blocks
7. Wooden blocks

9. How to accommodate block playing with
special needs children

10. Helping young children learn and development
through blocks
 Blocks are great for every childcare classroom, blocks come in all kinds of
different shapes, sizes, colors and different textures. Children can use blocks
to support dramatic play, to build structure for toy cars or to count, sort and
organize. Having blocks can be extremely versatile; it can be used in play
and learning. You may prefer foams or carboard blocks for infants and
toddlers because they are much lighter and easier to manipulate. Which also
can prevent a child being injured.

11. The skills and abilities young children must
benefit from block playing
 When young children interact with blocks
it can boost children development.
 Block playing offers a variety of skills to
help children such as open-ended,
creative and valuable play and learning
experience.
 Block playing allows children to have
freedom. What I mean by this is it lets
children to explore, take apart and put
back together any blocked creation they
can possibly think of. When children play
with blocks there are numerous things
that they can gain from.

12. what children gain when playing with blocks
1. SELF- EXPRESSION – self expression allows children to express
themselves throughout their play, creation and discoveries. There is a
form communication that is particularly valuable for bilingual or non-
verbal children.
2. PROBLEM SOLVING – blocks offer young children a fantastic platform to
develop problem solving as well as, reasoning skills. They will learn what
does and what doesn’t work.
3. MATHEMATICS – with the variety of shapes, sizes and colors there are
blocks offers different opportunities for children to practice important
math skills, coving measurement, number, symmetry and various more.
4. CREATIVITY- this allows children to express who they are and feel free to
combine and recombine them in many ways.
5. IMAGINATION- in block play children are free to follow their own ideas as
they discovery or share in the development of their friend's creations.

13. How teachers can help children learn with
blocks
 When children are doing block play teachers
can support their students by identifying
and supporting the characteristics of
effective learning
 As a teacher you should be walking around
observing and thinking of question such as:
 Are the children having and following their
own ideas? Are they choosing to explore
their own ways of building.
 Are the children involved? Are the children
concentrating on what they want to achieve?
 Are the children taking risks in their block
play and do they keep trying if things don’t
work out?

14. Block playing
 Block playing stimulates in all domains of
development, intellectual, physical, and
social emotional and language.
 Block playing is fundamental for later
cognitive success for younger children for
learning math and numbers.
 The benefits of block play is increased
attention span, cooperation with others,
motor skills, mathematics concepts,
language development, problem solving,
and spatial perception.

15. `work citied page
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https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2015/ten-things-children-
learn-block-play
 (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2020, from https://childcare.extension.org/