Block-Building is Mind Building

Block-building is the key to interdisciplinary learning in PreK 3 through 2nd grade at Stevens. Students learn on multiple levels as they move from stacking and balancing blocks in the Early Childhood program to the creation of intricate structures that represent knowledge attained from in-depth studies conducted in 2nd grade. The program provides the means for children to explore and demonstrate their understanding of their immediate environment, the world around them and the intricacies of their surroundings. Students are given the opportunity to express their understanding of their social and physical worlds while fostering skills in negotiation, cooperation and collaborative problem-solving. Blocks cultivate open-ended learning, allowing young students the freedom to be creative in their inquiries, explorations and collaborations.

When our graduates talk about what they did at Stevens, they often start with the moment they first worked with blocks to build something meaningful. They give students a sense of freedom — and they give our teachers a thousand ways to practice foundational skills and engage with foundational knowledge. As students grow, the connections between their block buildings and the real world become more concrete. In 2nd grade, students grapple with the question of how and why cities change over time. Using the Brooklyn Bridge as a case study, they examine its engineering and construction and its impact on the culture and economy of the city. After traveling to see the bridge in person, they use all the skills they’ve learned during their time at Stevens to reconstruct the bridge in their classroom over several weeks: the capstone of the block-building experience.

The blocks program incorporates multiple areas of learning and development. Some of the skills that block-building promotes include:

Arts

Engineering

Block-building teaches problem-solving, and as children advance, they move from experimenting with various materials to confidently selecting the blocks that best suit their creations. Students learn about engineering concepts, architecture and build a deeper understanding of why some designs succeed and others don’t. Our students are constantly experimenting with blocks and grapple with cause and effect. They also encounter concepts in physics, like gravity, stability, weight and balance.

Language Arts

Through the blocks program, students develop their language and communication skills, talking about their structures and explaining the details of the buildings they have constructed when sharing out with their classmates and teachers. When acting as listeners, they are given the opportunity to understand and consider the perspectives of others. In the Lower School, students practice sentence structure and persuasive and non-fiction writing to accompany their block buildings.

Mathematics

Physical Development

Science

Social-Emotional

Our blocks program encourages the use of creativity and imagination, problem-solving through trial and error, and critical thinking. Students practice all levels of play, including solitary, parallel and cooperative play. When sharing information with the class about their structures, the students are learning to listen and respect others, and practicing sharing their own voice with classmates.

Every Moment Counts