Exploring Spatial Thinking with Blocks (18–36 months)
Text on-screen: Exploring Spatial Thinking with Blocks (18–36 months)
Logo: Count, play, explore – for early education.
On screen: The educator sits cross-legged on the floor facing a structure built out of blocks. The structure has two long, rectangular-shaped blocks positioned side-by-side that connect two ramp-shaped blocks positioned side-by-side. The ramp-shaped blocks connect to a block that makes the foundation of the structure. There is a block on two sides of the foundation block and a block placed across the top of them. Inside the structure are several toy cars.
Educator: Can we fit them in?
On screen: A child walks from the back of the structure to the front, holding a toy car.
Child: Yeah.
Educator: You think so? Let‘s see.
On screen: The child kneels next to the structure and places the car on the long, rectangular-shaped blocks. The child pushes the car up the ramp.
Educator: Beep, beep, beep. Whoa. Oh, they went out the back.
On screen: As the child pushes the car into the structure, a block falls from the back.
Child: [inaudible]
On screen: The child stands up and peers into the structure. The educator tilts their head to look into the structure as well.
Educator: Where are you?
Child: Hi.
On screen: The child walks to the back of the structure and pushes the toy cars forward.
Educator: Hey.
Child: Broken.
Educator: We just got to be gentle.
On screen: The educator reaches their hand out to hold the cars in place as the child pushes them from the back.
Educator: They‘re going to come down. Whoa.
On screen: The educator removes their hand, and one of the cars rolls down the ramp.
Child: [inaudible]
On screen: The child picks up the block that fell from the back of the structure, kneels down, and begins to put it back in place as the educator peers around the structure.
Educator: You put it back in. It fits?
Child: Mm-hmm, fits.
Educator: Where does it go?
On screen: The child holds the block up and looks at the educator.
Child: Fix it.
Educator: You need help?
On screen: The child stands up while holding the block and carries it around the structure to the educator.
Child: Broken.
Educator: Broken?
On screen: The child hands the block to the educator.
Educator: Can we fix it?
Child: Look.
Educator: Look. Oh, let’s see. Here, let’s try.
On screen: The educator leans onto an elbow to reach the back of the structure and puts the block back in place while the child observes.
Educator: We put it back in.
On screen: The educator sits upright, and the child walks to the front of the structure. The child kneels next to the structure and places their hand on the car that rolled down the ramp. The child picks up the car to put it back. In the next scene, the child holds one car in their left hand while using their right hand to push another car up the ramp.
Child: Beep, beep, beep.
Educator: Beep, beep. Beep, beep.
On screen: The child places the car they are holding in their right hand into the structure, and the block on the back falls. The child stands up and walks to the back of the structure.
Child: Oh, no.
Educator: Oh, no. Can you fix it?
On screen: The child reaches their hand in through the back of the structure and pushes the four toy cars forward and out of the structure.
Child: Fix it.
Educator: You put the cars out?
On screen: The educator reaches out and picks up the block that makes the top of the structure. As they lift it up, the block used to make the right side of the structure falls off of the foundation block.
Educator: Uh-oh.
Child: Oh, no.
On screen: The child stands up and reaches both hands out to the side with their palms turned forward.
Educator: Oh, no. Let’s readjust.
Child: Broken.
Educator: Oh my gosh, can we make it again?
On screen: The educator holds both of their hands out to the side with their palms up.
Child: Yeah.
On screen: The child walks to the right side of the structure and lifts up the block that fell from the side. The child stands up and begins to place the block on top of the block that is set up to be the left side of the structure. The child starts by placing the narrow side of the block perpendicular to the standing block. The child then starts to rotate the block, so the wide side is against the standing block.
Educator: Let’s build it again. Which way? Oh, that’s a good idea. Do you want to use those ones instead?
On screen: The educator extends their hand out to help the child place the block down. The child stands up, moving the block away. The child places the block down to create the back of the structure. The child walks to the other side of the structure and kneels next to the smaller square-shaped blocks.
Educator: Want to make a smaller garage?
Child: Yeah.
On screen: The child stands up and walks around the smaller blocks to pick up a large square-shaped block.
Educator: Okay. How are we going to build it?
On screen: The child stands up, holding the block.
Child: Help.
On screen: The child holds the block out to the educator. The educator reaches out and takes the block. The educator holds the block over the top of the blocks that are positioned to create the structure. The blocks that are positioned include the ramp blocks leading up to the foundation, which is composed of four small, square-shaped blocks positioned to make a large square. There is a rectangular-shaped block positioned on the left side and one positioned at the back.
Educator: Oh, help. Okay. Am I putting on top?
Child: Yeah.
On screen: The educator sets the large, square-shaped block on top of the rectangular-shaped blocks.
Educator: Okay. There we go.
On screen: The child kneels down and picks up a small, square-shaped block. The child holds the block up.
Child: Help.
Educator: Help? Okay.
On screen: The educator extends their hand out to take the square-shaped block.
Educator: I’m going to put this one right here.
On screen: The educator reaches the small, square-shaped block around the front of the structure and places it between the foundation block and the block that has been set on top.
Educator: How about that?
On screen: The child walks around to the front of the structure and kneels down. The child reaches for the toy cars. Two of the cars are on the ramp blocks, and one is on the ground next to the ramp. The child reaches out to the cars, knocking one onto the ground.
Child: Car.
Educator: Oh, can we fit the same amount of cars?
On screen: The child picks up the car that is sitting on the ramp and places it into the structure.
Child: Oh, yes.
Educator: One—
On screen: The child reaches for one of the cars on the ground next to the ramp. The blocks used to construct the right side of the structure and the top of the structure are hollow with an opening facing the front of the structure. The child tries putting the car in that opening of the block on the right.
Educator: —two. Oh, does it go in there?
On screen: The child lifts the car up and tries placing it in the opening of the block that makes the top of the structure.
Child: Go in there.
Educator: Can it fit?
Text on screen: A special thanks to the children, families, and staff of the Office of Fresno County Superintendent of Schools' Lighthouse for Children Child Development Center without whose help these videos would not have been possible.
Logo: Count, play, explore – for early education.