Block play supports children’s informal and formal spatial skills

IF 1.9 3区心理学 Q3 PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL

Cognitive Development Pub Date : 2026-07-01 Epub Date: 2026-06-23 DOI:10.1016/j.cogdev.2026.101740

Zachary S. Gold, Jesseca Perlman, Nina Howe, Natalie S. Byrd

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The present study evaluated unstructured play with blocks as a method of understanding children’s informal spatial skills to establish a link with direct cognitive assessment (e.g., formal spatial skills) in contrast to prior research using semi-structured paradigms. Participants were 110 socioeconomically diverse preschoolers (56% male, M age = 58 mos., range = 4 yrs. 1 mo.–6 yrs., 0 mos.) filmed in 55 dyads during play with wooden unit blocks. Children were coded for informal spatial skills using eight spatial configurations in block building (e.g., stacking, symmetry, tiers) and directly assessed on formal spatial skills with the Spatial Skills and Transformation Task (Levine et al., 1999). Block structure size was measured by area and volume. Informal and formal spatial skills were significantly related (b =.11, p = .011). Children with stronger informal (b =.42, p < .001) and formal (b =.99, p = .014) spatial skills built larger, more complex block structures. Findings suggest that prompting children to build large, spatially complex block structures may support broad spatial development.

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积木游戏支持儿童非正式和正式的空间技能

本研究评估了非结构化积木游戏作为一种理解儿童非正式空间技能的方法，以建立与直接认知评估（如正式空间技能）的联系，而不是之前使用半结构化范式的研究。参与者为110名不同社会经济背景的学龄前儿童（56%为男性，年龄≥58岁）。，范围= 4 年。1 mo.-6 年。在玩木制单元积木时拍摄了55对。在积木构建中使用八种空间配置（如堆叠、对称、分层）对儿童进行非正式空间技能编码，并通过空间技能和转换任务直接评估儿童的正式空间技能（Levine et al., 1999）。用面积和体积来测量块结构大小。非正式和正式空间技能显著相关（b = 0.11, p = .011）。非正式性较强的儿童（b =.42, p <； ）。001)和formal （b =.99, p = ）。空间技能可以建造更大、更复杂的块结构。研究结果表明，促使儿童建造大型、空间复杂的积木结构可能有助于广泛的空间发展。

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来源期刊

Cognitive Development Multiple-

CiteScore

3.20

自引率

5.60%

发文量

114

期刊介绍： Cognitive Development contains the very best empirical and theoretical work on the development of perception, memory, language, concepts, thinking, problem solving, metacognition, and social cognition. Criteria for acceptance of articles will be: significance of the work to issues of current interest, substance of the argument, and clarity of expression. For purposes of publication in Cognitive Development, moral and social development will be considered part of cognitive development when they are related to the development of knowledge or thought processes.