Blog 3

At the moment there is a big interest and focus in Lego at my centre with the 4 year olds, we have all the Lego in 6 different trays according to the colour. So one tray has all the red Lego, one has all blue Lego etc. We also have laminated Lego sheets that have different things on such as cars or planes that children can make, they show what they will need to make each thing and step by step instructions how to make it. So they have inspiration from these but also have the opportunity for free expression to make what they want. "Children who feel free to make mistakes and to explore and experiment will also feel free to invent, create, and find new ways to do things." (Kohl, 2008)


We also take photo's of children's creations both for their portfolios but also if it is something they have made themselves we take a picture, print it and laminate it and bind it into the book, and just keep adding more as the children create more and this stays with the Lego.  Smorti (1999), states that "Technology is a creative and purposeful activity aimed at meeting the needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems and environment." (pg. 5)

Children are constantly exploring and experimenting with the Lego, problem solving to ensure they get the desired result they are after. They are thinking of ideas they would like to make and putting these into practice. refining them as they go through the process of making it. Reflecting on it as they go. A lot of children discuss with their friends what they are making and often they combine their ideas to make something together. which is really create both from a creative aspect and language aspect. Te Whaariki, (Ministry of Education, 1996), states that young children need to be able to set and meet their own challenges, this is seen by the way in which they create their own personal ideas, it also states that children need to be ready to make mistakes, and be allowed to experience the pleasure of feeling like capable and competent learners! (p.87).


The Lego they use is quite small and often quite intricate work, this helps to develop their fine motor development more as they work with the different sized pieces as well as their hand eye co-ordination. They are able to take what they see on the picture and make it a reality. They are counting the pieces needed, recognising shapes and colours and also learning how to make them all fit together. They are learning through the process, and working hard to get a end result.


We use the lego more for the four year olds rather then with the three years olds, the younger children prefer the bigger blocks (Duplo) they find them easier to handle and are more comfortable working with these. According to Te Whariki, (Ministry of Education, 1996), the environment should be stimulating and acknowledge the comfort “threshold” is different for each child. (Pg 51)     

Children are learning through trial and error, they are learning about such things as weight, such as if they are building a tower and if it falls they work to see what the problems, a lot of the time it is because the blocks are not evenly placed meaning one side is heavier then the other, this again is incorporating the maths aspect of learning into this activity. They are learning about balance, weight, counting, and subtracting. Teachers roles when children are playing with lego is merely to observe really, to ask questions, to give them positive feedback and obviously be able to support them where necessary, such as some children struggle pulling apart lego, or are unable to find apiece so we help look for it. Te Whàriki states, that with our support "children are able to gain confidence in using a variety of strategies for exploring and making sense of the world. They are setting and solving problems while looking for patterns and classifying things for a purpose". (Ministry of Education, 1996)

Children are proud with the end results they achieve, they are quick to show their creation off to the teachers and their friends. Often we have a "presentation" of sorts at mat time. Where children are given the opportunity to come up at mat time and show us what they have made. They tell us what it is and what it does. Often other children will ask them questions about it to which the child will answer them. Children are filled with a sense of pride and appreciation that what they have made is valued and respected by both the adults in the centre and children in the centre. 


Documenting these creations also is a way for children to recall and show us what they have made before. They are able to read the learning story about how they made it and see the end result and its something they can keep to look back on and reflect on, as unfortunately they are not able to keep what they create as the Lego obviously needs to stay at kindergarten. So having children take photo's of their creations and us as teachers writing about it and putting it in their portfolios is something they are able to always have. 


If down the track they make something else, they again can do the same, take a photo, put it in their portfolio and reflect on it and compare it with any other creations they have made in the past. Combining both technologies to get a great end result we are promoting and at the same time nurturing children's learning and creative expression.  “In developing creative practice, we are nurturing imaginative approaches to how we work with children. In practice which fosters creativity by contrast our focus is mainly on ensuring that we encourage children’s ideas and possibilities and that these are not suffocated” (Edwards & Springate, 1995)








Reference List

Edwards CP & Springate KW (1995) Encouraging creativity in early childhood 

            classrooms (ERIC Digest). Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Early 

            Childhood Education (ED3899474). 

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: He Whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.

Smori, S. (1999) Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, 19, 5-10.