SAIIER 2013:Building with Blocks
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 Awareness Through the Body |
 |
 Child Protection Service |
| Building with Blocks | ||
This research project was initiated in 2006 and ended this year in January with the publishing of a book and a workshop for teachers.
Objectives of the project
- Study the development of children in creativity and social skills through blocks building
- Initiate the discovery of math concepts such as symmetry and balance
- Stimulate make-believe play by possibility to build what is needed
- Develop big and small muscles by handling blocks
- Use of a natural material, wood
- Allow parents and teachers from other schools to discover the abilities of small children
- Promote the use of wooden blocks in other schools
Outputs
Book
Building with Blocks
at the Auroville Kindergarten
- Written by Odile with Heidi Watts' collaboration
- Published by SAIIER
- Layout and printing by Auroville Press
- 68 pages with 120 colour photos
The book is for sale online at auroville.com and at Auroville bookshops.
Program
- Book release of in January 2013 on the Kindergarten premises. Invitations for the event were sent to parents of actual students, and published in News & Notes and on Auronet. We displayed an exhibition of photos of children building with blocks.
- Workshop for around 35 teachers of Auroville and Outreach schools, mostly women and Tamil. They experimented building with blocks, shared how they use the blocks in their schools and reflected on how to improve their observations. The 7 schools represented in the workshop received the newly released book.
Outcomes
- Opportunity for teachers to experiment and reflect on blocks building.
- Presentation to teachers, parents and well wishers of the printed result of this research project.
- Demonstration of developmentally appropriate activities for kindergarten children.
