Blog Entry: 20th February 2023
Schemas are patterns of behaviour or interests which can be observed throughout children’s play. These patterns are the child’s way of making sense of the world around them and will develop into important mathematical and scientific concepts.
Providing activities which appeal to a child’s current schema will help to engage the child in purposeful play and help to sustain their levels of involvement and concentration (when most brain development and meaningful learning takes place). Sometimes undesirable behaviour can also be avoided by directing their interest.
Below is a simple summary of some of the more common schemas:
Transporting: A child may move objects from one place to another, sometimes using a bag, buggy or bike.
Enveloping/Enclosing: Objects, space, or the child herself are completely covered. She may wrap things in paper, blankets or rugs or put them in pots, pans with lids, boxes or pockets.
Positioning: A child may be interested in placing objects in particular positions.
Horizontality or Verticality: A child may be interested in actions such as climbing, stretching, and reaching up or lying flat.
Rotation: A child may become absorbed by things which turn and roll e.g., tops, wheels, cogs and keys.
Connection: A child may use string, rope, wool etc. to tie objects together, often in complex ways.
Ordering: A child may place blocks, vehicles or animals in lines and begin to show an interest in largest and smallest.
Trajectory: A child shows interest in moving along lines, they may explore jumping, swinging and throwing.
Transforming: A child is interested in changing the state of something which usually involves a visual transformation, such as mixing, freezing, or drying a substance. A child might love to wash their hands with soap repeatedly or add chalk to a cup of water
