BLOCK CENTER

Block CenterImportance of Block PlaySetting Up Your CenterMaterials Examples of Block CentersTeacher’s RoleObserving StudentsActivities Resources

Importance Children negotiate for materialsChildren exchange ideas with each

otherChildren develop small musclesChildren develop hand eye

coordinationChildren develop math conceptsChildren use imagination and

creativity

Setting Up Your CenterAway from a line of traffic, ideal location is in

the cornerDefined by shelves that are labeledAmple space, open floor spaceNear noisy areas (e.g. dramatic play)Over carpetBlocks and props neatly arranged for student

accessibilityEnough blocks and accessories (means there are sufficient

blocks/ accessories for at least 2 children to build large structures)

At least 2 types of blocksBlocks and Accessories organized by type

Materials Hardwood unit blocks (390 pieces) Hollow blocks People Animals Road signs Transportation vehicles Books relating to transportation Paper and pencil(to draw what

they made) Dollhouse with furniture Paper towel rolls Fabric (make tents and houses) Tiles, rugs Pulleys and string Vinyl rain gutters (use as ramps) Popsicle sticks Film canister Craft sticks Blankets Streamers Feathers Clay

Astronauts and space shuttles Construction hats, goggles, and

tools Items made by the children Tree blocks Floor map of city Globe Magazines, postcards with

buildings Castle blocks Cardboard boxes Driftwood Styrofoam Old blueprints Tape measure Wallpaper scraps String Shells Pebbles Rubber tubing Yardstick Plastic trees Play money Telephone wire

Examples of Block Centers

More Examples

Promoting Literacy and Writing

http://www.pre-kpages.com/

Ideas to Promote Literacy/Writing (perpetualpreschooler.com, http://teacherlingo.com/blogs/preschoolknowledge/archive/2009/08/10/how-to-incorporate-literacy-in-the-block-center.aspx)

Add books about buildings and construction along with notepads, rulers, pencils and "scrolls" of butcher paper to your block area.

Children can measure and "record" information about what they have built.

Add "floor plans" cut from architectural magazines.

Make a book of buildings (barns, skyscrapers, strip malls, houses, apartments, etc) with your class from pictures in magazines. Cut out and paste to "construction" paper to keep in the block area.

From letters with blocks Children design their own

house, make blue prints and build a house using their plans

Books to enhance:◦ How A House is Built by Gail

Gibbons◦ Building a House by Byron Barton◦ C is For Construction:  Big Trucks

and Diggers From A to Z by Caterpillar

◦ The Construction Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta

◦ Tonka Construction Zone by Charles Hofer

◦ B is for Bulldozer: A Construction ABC by June Sobel

◦ Digger Man by Andrea Zimmerman

◦ Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by V. Burton

Teacher’s RolePlay with childrenHelp them solve problemsShow them pictures and discussAdd new accessoriesAsk questions and wait for a

responseTalk to students about their

structures

Observing Students

What stage of block play does the child display? Is the child aware of different shapes and sizes and is able to

return it to the proper place? Does the child talk about structures and respond to questions? What props and materials does the child use in building?

These observations will help you determine when to intervene and what to say to support or extend children’s learning.

Understanding what stage of block play the child has achieved will help with planning to facilitate further learning.

Stages of Play (from The Creative Curriculum® for

Preschoolers)

Carrying Blocks◦ Child is learning about blocks: the properties of

them and what they can do with them

Piling Blocks and Making Roads◦ Child builds vertically or horizontally

Connecting Blocks to Create Structures◦ Bridging and enclosures

Making Elaborate Constructions◦ Names what they built, symbolize actual

structures

NV Pre-K Standards (NV Pre-K Guidebook)

Goals of Pre-K Mathematics

◦ Develop an understanding of number and number sense

◦ Develop knowledge of spatial concepts

◦ Develop understanding of patterns and relationships

◦ Develop knowledge of sequence and temporal awareness

◦ Develop the ability to use mathematical knowledge to sort, classify, represent, communicate and solve problems

NV Pre-K Standards (NV Pre-K Guide Book)

Numbers, Number Sense, and Computation

Children begin to use numbers to show quantity (Pre-K Standard 1.0)

Teachers may see children begin to:◦ Combine and separate groups of objects.

◦ Count to 10.

◦ Estimate the amount of objects and check for accuracy by counting

Activity: Blocks Box Sort-.  Children are given a set of blocks and they must sort them based on some attribute.  Other objects can be used to sort as well.

NV Pre-K Standards (NV Pre-K Guide Book)

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra

Children begin to recognize patterns and relationships in the environment(Pre-K Standard 2.0)

Teachers may see children begin to:◦ Sort objects by size, shape and color..

◦ Recognize and replicate simple patterns.

◦ Compare sets of objects. Determine which has more or less.

Activity: Provide blocks of different shapes or colors. Create a pattern for children to repeat such as “square, rectangle, square, rectangle” or “red, blue, red, blue.” Ask children to create new patterns for you to repeat.

NV Pre-K Standards (NV Pre-K Guide Book)

MeasurementChildren begin to make comparisons and

measure (Pre-K Standard 3.0)Teachers may see children begin to:

◦ Compare objects by size to determine smaller and larger

Activity: Children can create towers using the blocks. The children can then measure the structures to determine which one is larger and smaller.

NV Pre-K Standards (NV Pre-K Guide Book)

Spatial Relationships and Geometry

Children begin to investigate positions and locations(Pre-K Standard 4.0)

Teachers may see children begin to:◦ Identify circle, triangles, and squares

◦ Identify positions such as in front, behind, next to, up, down, inside, outside, or on top

Activity: I Spy a Block: Place a variety of blocks in the middle of the floor. Encourage children’s observation skills by describing blocks for them to find. Use characteristics that help children focus on shape, color, or size. Example: “I spy a triangle block. Where is it?”

NV Pre-K Standards(NV Pre-K Guide Book)

Data AnalysisChildren begin to collect, organize, and use

information. (Pre-K Standard 5.0)Teachers may see children begin to:

◦ Identify and sort data

Activity: Students will create maps of the classrooms. They can use blocks to represent the parts of the classroom.

IdeasMaking a houseBlock cityHamster mazeRoll die- get the

number of blocksMeasure how tall

the tower isHumpty

Dumpty’s wall

Have two children face each other with something obstructing their view of each other. The children will build matching structures using their words to direct the other student.

Ideas for Blocks(perpetualpreschool.com)

Outline the shapes so kids can match the block to the shape.

Use wrapping paper to wrap boxes to get new blocks.

Take a picture of each child in your classroom with a digital camera. You may want to take a full body picture and a face picture of each child because you will attach both pictures to a toilet tissue tube. Place each child's tube in the block area for children to use at block play. You may also take digital pictures of familiar buildings in the community and attach these to boxes and place them in the block area for excellent visuals.

Take a picture of each child. Glue it onto cardboard or poster board. Cover with clear Contact paper. Cut out each. These classroom paper dolls can be added to the block area.

We had blocks with pointed tops made to resemble a house. Each child got to decorate their own house. We then took pictures of each child and applied their picture to the house along with their address. We then added them to the block area with some cars. They had a whole neighborhood with all their friends and drove their cars to visit them.

Block MatsMaterials: a large sheet of oak tag, assorted blocks, pencils, crayons, or washable markers

The child will select as many blocks as he wants and lay them any way he chooses on the oak tag and trace around them. The oak tag is labeled with the artists name and placed in the block area. Other children are encouraged to select a block mat and match the blocks to the shapes traced.

ResourcesALL ABOUT THE ECERS-RThe Creative Curriculum® for

Preschoolershttp://www.pre-kpages.com/http://teacherlingo.com/blogs/pre

schoolknowledge/archive/2009/08/10/how-to-incorporate-literacy-in-the-block-center.aspx

http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/

BooksHow a House is Built by Gail GibbonsThe Construction Alphabet Book by Jerry

PallottaBlock Play by Sharon MacDonaldThe Block Book By E., HirschBuilding Structures with Young Children by

Ingrid ChalufourBuilding a House by Bryon Barton