A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Emergent Spatial and Architectural Thinking During Block Play (Poster 4)

• In Event: Thursday Poster Session 4:20 pm
  In Poster Session: Early Education and Child Development: Poster Session 1

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify preschoolers’ spatial thinking during free-play LegoTM and block constructions. Also identified were underlying architectural and engineering principles inherent in these constructions. Potential age, gender, and SES differences were examined. Naturalistic observation was employed to determine emergent spatial, engineering, and architectural thinking during free play. Participants were 90 preschoolers residing in a large city in northeastern US. Individual children from five different preschools were videotaped for over 15 minutes. No significant differences existed among preschoolers’ spatial, engineering, and architectural activities in terms of gender and SES. Findings suggest girls exhibit similar potential in these activities when compared to boys. Moreover, preschoolers of low-income families possess comparable abilities as their middle- and upper-income peers.

Authors

• Daniel Ness, St. John's University

• Wanying Wang, St. John's University