In this article, we looked at action schemas. These are how we represent movements in our minds so that we can recreate them at a later time.

Connecta Straws - MTA Catalogue - Teaching Galt – Connecta Straws - MTA Catalogue - Teaching

But there is a second type ofschema – schemas of form. We use these to help usrecall shapes and arrangements. As our understanding becomes more sophisticated, we use them to draw and eventually to write. Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget, noticed that children of a similar age all make the same kinds of mistakes. This led him to speculate that learning happens in stages and that as children grow they progress to higher levels. Part of his theory considered how schema play enabled this transition. You can read more about it here. How many schemas are there? Social, communication and language skills are all improved through playing with construction resources. Children will be able to construct and build a wide variety of interesting models and designs using this set of construction straws.

Make the Difference

Closely related to the enveloping schema, but with its own distinct character, the enclosingschema is about creating boundaries. Schemas help us make sense of the world. They are mental models ofour current thinking.We update them over time as new information comes in. Make water in the lounge, Mummy!” I love the God-like expectations my children have of me. One soggy rug later they were really happy fishing together and it occupied them for quite an impressive amount of time. I was really taken by the bright, retro design of the boat and it’s appeal to different age ranges. With different levels of play it would grow with a child from baby onwards.

A guide to schema play in toddlers - One Hundred Toys

These are some of my four year old son’s favourite words. He is starting to treat them with caution though, having overplayed the ‘surprise’ approach many a time –“I’ve got a surprise if you brush your teeth/eat dinner/stop sitting on my head at 6am.” The excitement is swiftly followed by crushing disappointment when the surprise is revealed to be a kiss from me/an apple/an invisible pet. These schemas are action schemas. They help us to make mental models ofmovements. They help us to represent actions in our minds. It depends. For our purposes we’ll focus on eight, although in theory the number is limitless. Jump straight to the schema that interests you via the following links, or read on for more information about schema play and why it matters. If your child likes to swing upside down from the monkey bars, lie along the top of the sofa or sit in the trolley facing the wrong way at the supermarket, then they are exploring their orientation schema. In orientation, your child is discovering how to see things from a different point of view. This important schema builds confidence in many physical activities and games, when it becomes useful to anticipate how another player might move.

Play encourages creativity, imagination, perseverance and the development of language and social skills. The truth is that there is an infinite number. But the more categories we create, the harder it is to identify which schema applies. Too many and the classification becomes unwieldy. Having said that, you might like to read more about some other well-known schemas. But as you do, consider which of the main schemas they might fall under. When a theory is simple it’s easier to take action.