Connecting 2-D and 3-D: Drafting Blueprints, Building, and Playing with Blocks Introduction: Building Blocks

ing based on them, they practice connecting 2-D to 3-D. once they complete a building (3-D), and the final photo is taken (2-D), children are able to see their 3-D buildings in 2-D. This approach promotes geometric thinking and

spatial sen se by helping children connect these two dimen­ sions in both directions (2-D to 3-D and 3-D to 2-D).

References

Anderson, C. 2010. ''Blocks: A Versatile Learning Tool for Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow." YoungChildren 65 (2): 54-56.

Casey, B.M., N. Andrews, H. Schindler, J.E. Kersh,A. Samper,&

J. Copley. 2008. "The Developmenr of Spatial Skills Through Inrerventions Involving Block Building Activities."Cognition and Inscrucrion 26 (3):269-309.

Cohen, L., & J. Uhry. 2011.''Naming Block Structures: A Multimodal Approach ."Early Childhood Education Journal 39 (I): 79-87.

Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp,eds. 2009.Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children From Birth Through Age 8. 3rd ed. Washington DC: NAEYC.

Copley, N. 2010. The YoungChild and Mathematics. 2nd ed. Washing­ ton DC: NAEYC.

Hanline, M.F., S. Milton,& P.C. Phelps. 2010. "The Relationship Between Preschool Block Play and Reading and MathsAbilities in Early Elementary School:A Longitudinal Study of Children With

and Without Disabilities."Early Child Development and Care 180 (8):

1005-17.

Lee,J., JO. Lee, & D. Collins. 2009. "Enhancing Children's Spatial Sense UsingTa.ngrams."Childhood Education 86 (2): 92-94.

Mullis, I.V.S.. M.O.Martin, & P.Foy. 2008. TIMSS 2007 International Mathematics Report: Findings From IEA's Trends in Int ernational Mathematics and Science Study at the Fourth and Eighth Grades. Chesmut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS Inrernational Study Cenrer, Boston College. http://timss.bc.edu /timss2007/mathreport.html.

NAEYC & NCTM (National Council of Teachersof Mathematics).

2002. "Early Childhood Mathematics: Promoting Good Beginnings." Joinr position statement. www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ psmarh.pdf.

NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics).2000. Princ iples and Standardsfor School Mathematics. Resron, VA: NCTM. www. nccm.org/standard s/conrenr.aspx?id=4294967312.

NGA (National Governors Association Cenrer for Best Practices) & CCSSO (Council of Chief State School Officers). 2010. Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Washington, DC: NGA; Washing­

ton, DC: CCSSO. www.corestandards.org/assets /CCSSLMath%20 Standards.pd[

Piccolo, D.L., & J. Test.2010. "Preschoolers' Thinking During Block Play."Teaching Children Mathematics 17 (5): 310-16.

Ramani, G.B., E. Zipperc, S. Schweitzer,& S. Pan. 2014. "Preschool Chil­ dren's Joinr Block Building Duringa Guided Play Activity."Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 35 (4): 326-36.

Tokarz, B. 2008. "Block Play: It'sNor Just for Boys Anymore: Strategies for Encouraging Girls'Block Play." Exchange 181: 68-71.

Lee, J., M.M. Autry, J. Fox, & C.Williams. 2008. "Investigating Chil­

dren's Mathematics Readiness." Journal of Research in Childhood Education 22 (3): 316-28.

Copyright © 2015 by the NationalAssociation for the Education of Young Children. See Permissions and Reprints online at www.naeyc.org/yc/permissions.

Inviting an architect to visit

To encourage the children's growing interest in architects and architecture, we invited Ms. Adams to talk about what she does in her daily life as an architect. She shared her blueprint portfolio,which included photos of the finished buildings, with the children. She brought a miniature LEGO model of Chicago's Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), to show how miniature structures relate to actual buildings. The children asked Ms. Adams to construct a building using hollow blocks. She explained how to build

usingthese large blocks and emphasized the importance of blueprints. Ms. Adams showed the children the steps involved in building a school with windows-planning, drawing a blueprint using markers, and buildinga model of the school buildingusing hollow blocks. The children were excited and engaged in the planning,blueprint drawing, and building process.

2-D to 3-D(Draftingblueprintsto building) The next morning the children began their architecture projects. As they worked, we took digital photosof the different stages to include in the children's architecture portfolios, which would contain blueprints and photosof their buildings.

In the architecture-based block center, the children planned and drew blueprints for their buildings before they began constructingthem. Usually they drew simple sketches of block shapes,but as they added details to their buildings the blueprints became more elaborate.

They sometimeswrote random numbers to make their work resemble real blueprints and sometimes recorded numbers that represented their own measurement s (how many blocks to use, how many roomsare in the building, etc.). They were excited to make connections between the blueprint s, the block buildings, and the photos. The activity helped them connect 2-D representations (blueprints) to

3-D structures (their block buildings), and 3-D buildings to 2-D photos of their buildings.

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Sonia draws a blueprint and starts to build her block structure. Referringtothe blueprint, she says, "Oh, Ineed one more;' and adds a block to the top of the building.Returningto her blueprint, she realizes it does not matchthe buildingshe is constructing. The blueprint shows fewer blocks on the bottom of the building. Sonia picks up a marker and draws one more block at the bottom of the drawingof the building in her blueprint.

3-D to 2-D (Buildingand taking photos) This step was the most fun for the children, who were always eager to take photos of their block architecture. Taking photos and then examiningthem strengthened the children's engagement in building their own structures.

When they finished the buildings shown on their blueprints (2-D to 3-D), they took photos of their work with our help, and completed their individual architecture portfolio. After all the steps were finished, the authors and the children took the final photos for each child's architecture portfolio. Thechildren then played with their buildings during center time-building a school, and pretending that one child

was the teacher and others were students. Some children considered their buildings to be artworks and saved them. These children invited others to look at their buildings without touching them. At the end of center time, we took photos to display in the block center.

Conclusion

Block play supports children's social, physica l, and intellec­ tual development, and their creativity (Tokarz 2008). With guided practice-in this case using architecture-based block play-children develop geometric reasoning and spatial sense, connecting two-dimensional and three­ dimensional representations.

During this architecture-based block play, children ma­ nipulated 2-D and 3-D shapes. They converted 2-D to 3-D (blueprints to block buildings/architecture) and 3-D to 2-D (block buildings/architecture to photos) during their block play. When children draw blueprints and construct a build-

Young Children March 2015

ric materials-two-dimensiona l and three-dimensional­ shou Id be themajor focus of early childhood geometry education. Exploration is more effective than memoriz- ingterminology and characteristics because it promotes children'sgeometric thinking and spatial sense (Lee, Lee, & Collins 2009; Copley 2010). Children need to manipulate

both three-dimensional and two-dimensional concrete ma­ terials to understand essential geometric concepts such as knowing positions, locations, and structures (NCTM 2000; NAEYC & NCTM 2002; Lee et al. 2008).

Exploration is more effective than memorizing terminology and charac­ teristics because it promotes children's geometric thinking and spatial sense.

Block play is a tool for teaching and learning (Ander­ son 2010; Cohen & Uhry 2011) that supports children's development (Tokarz 2008). The positive effects of using block play to teach geometry are well documented in both research (e.g., Casey et al. 2008; Hanline, Milton,& Phelps 2010;Ramani et al. 2014) and practical fields (e.g., Tokarz 2008; Piccolo & Test 2010). Many teachers set up block centers without particular objectives so that children can freely manipulateblocksand be creative when building. Child-guided block play provides a valuable opportunity for youngchildren to exploreblocks and the spatial relation­ ships between themselves and these geometric objects.

However, children also benefit and learn from teachers' guidance when playing.

This article focuses on teacher-guided practice in

which children select and play with various materials that the teacher has carefully planned and prepared (Copple & Bredekamp 2009). In this project, we planned and setup a block center to promote children'sgeometric thinking and spatial sense by helping them connect 3-D and 2-D geomet­ r ic shapes. We three authors collaborated with a teacher, Ms.Johnson, to apply an architecture-based approach in the block center. We invited 4-year-old children to draft blueprints for buildings and then to match their block con­ structionsto the blueprints. Our major role in this project was to observe children in the block center and to provide necessary materials to encou rage their interests i n block play and architecture.

Introducing an architecture-based block center

This experience began when we discussed how to moti­ vate children's interest in the least popular center in this 4-year-olds classroom-the block center. Girls, in particu­ lar, rarely played there. To promote the children's interest in blocks, we added large hollow blocks to the center. We wanted to see whether the dynamics of children'sblock play would change. We found some positive changes: more children came to the block center to play, and they started using the hollow blocks to build l arge buildings (e.g., a school, a water park, houses, a library). Girlsoften played i n the block center, i nitiating or taking the lead in building.

As the children'sinterest in blocks grew,we began integrating an architecture-based approach.To guide chil­ dren's interest, we added to the block center children's fic­ tion books and adult informational books about architects and architecture, featuring pictures of architectural styles from different cultures and countries (e.g., France, China, India). Once the children began looking at the books, the dynamics of their play-interactions, communications, building ideas-became richer.

Four-year-olds Sebastian and Leslie (Sebastian is a dual language learner;Leslie has anorallanguage deficien­ cy and is receiving language therapy) sit in the block center looking at and talking about a book on French architecture and sculpture.Flipping through the pages, Sebastian points at photographs of buildings, saying "Wow!" often. Pointing at a photo of a Frenchcathe­ dral, Sebastiansays, "So beautiful." Leslie asks him, "Do you like it?" She suggests they build that building. Heagrees, andthey begin building with small blocks. Leslie looks at the cathedral photo and says, "We need big blocks. Sebastian,please bring some big blocks:· They continue building,frequently referring to the

cathedralphoto.

From looking at the books, the children quickly devel­ oped an imerest in architecture. To further their interest and provide more structure to the block center, we offered additional writing and drawing materials such as markers, pencils, paper, and poster board.We explained that they could plan for their build ings by drawing or writing.These materials created other dynamics-the children often drew planned and constructed buildings or wrote about build­ ings and architecture.

About the Authors

JoohlLee, PhD,is anassociate professor of early childhood and lemen,tary educat on at the University of Texasat Arlington.Her work focuses onerly mathematics ancJ teacher preparation for teaching children [email protected]

DeniseA.Collins, PhD,is tl'ie dir,ector of the Officeof Professional Development ant'! a faculty member at the University, of Texas at Arlington. She has trained and mentored early childhood teachers in Texas for over 30 [email protected]

Linda Winkelmao. MA,is the director of the YWQA Arlington Child DeveloRment Cent t-0n1:he University of Texasat Arling­ ton campus. She has worked as a teacher,

teacher educator,and child' eare adminis­ [email protected]

March 2015 Young Children 33

l Blocks: Great

Learning Tools From Infancy Through the Primary Grades

Joohi Lee, Denise

A. Collins, and Linda Winkelman

Preschool

Connecting2-D and 3-D:Drafting Blueprints,Building,and Playing With Blocks

Thestudy of geometry involves shape,size, position, direction, and movement and is descriptive of the physical world we live in.

Juanita V.Copley,

The Young Child and Mathematics

ELPING CHILDRE N UNDERSTAND

H

and analyze the relationship be­ tween two-dimensional representa­ tions and three-dimensional objects isone of the major expectationsin

early childhood geometry (NCTM 2000; NGA & CCSSO 2010). Using 2-D and 3-D materials helps children connect concrete geometric shapes and abstract geometric shapesby enhancing their spatial sense.

Accord ing to the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS 2007In­ ternational Mathematics Report (Mullis, Martin, & Foy 2008),the math test scores of fourth- and eighth-gradersin the United States were lowest in the area of geometry, which hasbeen identi­ fied as a challenging subject. Researchers and educatorsclaim that children's difficulties in geometry result from lack of concrete experi­ ences and poor spatial sense (Lee, Lee,& Collins 2009; Copley 2010). For example, instead of en­ gaging in hands-on activities in primary grades, children may be asked to memorize attributes of geometricshapes. According to the Nat ional Council of Teachersof Mathematics (2000),

encouragingchildren to explore variousgeomet-

32 Young Children March 2015