Geometry might be quite a challenging subject to teach, but when it is taught with teaching aids such as hand-cancel wooden blocks, the idea can easily be understood by pre-schoolers. These blocks not only enhance the child’s ability to think but also better hand dexterity, imaginative thinking and good sense of orientation in space. Physical learning has been deemed as one of the most effective methods of helping children grasp the basics of geometry, as this includes an understand OF shapes and sizes and how they fit into each other at a tender age.
Now, let us see how the wooden hand carved blocks are used in geometric presentations in order to help the pre-schooler to get an adequate foundation for mathematics.
1. Concrete Representation of Abstract Concepts
Shapes and size are concepts can be quite difficult to teach to preschoolers in normal instructional methods. Another reality that can be felt when it is in the hands of children is to use hand-carved wooden blocks. In this way, using blocks they are able to touch the shapes through their hands in order to compare and contrast the shape and size of the geometric shapes such as circles, triangles, squares and rectangles. As per my understanding, this kind of animals is very helpful in understanding the geometric principles in an efficient way because it connects out abstract theoretical knowledge with real world.
Children can comprehend, sort and classify aspects of an object through play and thus prepare for higher lessons in geometry. Speaking of the frequent actions that take part when children are playing with objects of this kind, it is possible to state that children begin perceiving such properties as edges, corners, and sides, which is very valuable when studying geometry.
2. Encourages Spatial Awareness
Hand-made wooden items also used in the development of spatial qualifying, which is a part of geometry in pre-schoolers. Spatial appreciation is the capacity to conceptualize position of an object and that of the self in relation to the objects. During play, children start to figure out how certain shapes relate with others; how a triangle could fit into a square, or how smaller blocks could fit into one and other to form a large tower.
Such interactions enable the young pre-schooler to be able to solve problems as well as gain an understanding of various principles such as symmetry and balance and proportion. For instance, when constructing a tower using building blocks a child is able to understand the dynamics of balance of the various shapes and sizes of the blocks.
3. Promotes Fine Motor Skills
Those wooden blocks that are hand-carved also help children to have good control of their hands when handling them. Many an activity involves the toddler’s fingers and hands to manipulate, pile, and sort blocks in several ways. This positive physical activity improves the coordination of the hand and eye and opens up the fingers and palm which are useful during writing or drawing.
While child is practicing build and creating with blocks, he or she gradually requires more and more accuracy for writing geometrical shapes and diagrams. For instance, when a child dramatically tries to balance one block with another to avoid a collapsing tower, he/she is preparing for later geometrical exercises, for instance, drawing straight lines, measuring angles, and recognizing seam.
4. Enhances Creativity and Imagination
Applying wooden items and in particular hand-carved ones in geometrical lessons fosters creativity besides imaginative mind. Students are free to create different pattern and structure using the available shapes in several ways to come up with something different. It is creative in the sense that the students can solve geometry problems in a different way, which makes them consider it from a different angle.
Children of such age may combine the given shapes to form new shapes that are completely different from the original, for example, placing triangles in a way to form a square or even using several rectangles to make completely different figure. These activities familiarise children with what is referred to as geometric transformation where shapes are moved and/or changed to form different forms. This kind of learning promotes exploratory learning which helps the young child to develop an early embracing of geometry as a creative and opened subject.
5. Builds Early Problem-Solving Skills
It is a type of play that does not have a set of instructions that must be followed, children learn problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Children are allowed to choose where they want to place their blocks; what shape they think can easily fit the other; and on the way they are going to fix their structures. These decisions require some knowledge about geometrical shapes and skills of logical analysis.
For instance, a pre-schooler might discover that stacking smaller blocks on larger ones leads to a more stable structure. They may also experiment with different combinations of shapes to see how they fit together, honing their problem-solving skills as they explore how geometric concepts work in real life. These problem-solving experiences provide a foundation for more advanced mathematical reasoning in the future.
6. Fosters Cooperative Learning
It mostly practiced in a group formation in which the child engages in social learning as well as sharing experiences with fellow learners. Children could be grouped in pairs when constructing or creating structures, problem solving or in formation of patterns. By so doing, they are able to express themselves; exchange information and work in groups with their fellow students.
Learning geometry is not only made easy through this approach, but the children also get provided with adequate social learning skills. Describing how shapes can be joined or solving a problem collectively to construct something interesting is beneficial for improving the children’s mathematical language development as well as communication.
7. Natural and Sustainable Learning Materials
Incorporation of hand carved wooden block is also significant in a way that they are natural teaching aids which are environmentally friendly. Wooden blocks on the other hand are natural and therefore do not harm the young children and the environment unlike plastic toys. They also have a surface appeal or feel and look that is appealing to children’s sense of touch and sight.
Since, these blocks are made of wood which gives it a natural texture they are good to be used both in and out-doors and they are very durable. It allows children to feel closer to nature and increasing their understanding on using natural resources as the tools.
Conclusion
Wooden blocks carved manually is one of the most effective aids to introduce the concept of geometry to preschool kids. These blocks are educational values are manifold: the child builds spatial orientation, fine motor skills, and thinking abilities. Further, it supports creative learning, forming an aesthetic mind, and group learning all contributing to the understanding of the concept of geometry in a joyful way.
Engaging the students into the use of hand-carved wooden blocks in the early childhood education enhances the pedagogy of the whole concept of learning; where geometry become not a dreadful subject to be studied but a joyous subject to discover.
