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Unit blocks Posted by Ari [Email] (#2847) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Ari) on Thu, 23 Mar 2006 05:19:55 In Reply to: OT. Best websites for teaching numbers to toddlers?..., Chaz, Wed, 22 Mar 2006 12:05:45 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I'm not an early childhood educator (but my wife is). And the best way to teach a whole host of skills is a set of unit blocks. Each unit block has a 1:2:4 ratio (length twice width, width twice thickness), and come in increasing sizes.
So not only do they learn that two smaller blocks is the same as a larger block, they learn that HALF of one block is another block. Numbers and fractions. And because they are stacking them, they learn spatial concepts as they quickly learn what will stay standing and what won't. Lastly, it'll develop gross motor skills (the technical term, sorry). Mousing and keyboarding are fine motor skills - nice, but gross motor skills now will make him/her a pro athlete in 20 years and you can retire. Or at keep your toddler from being a toddler forever.
Unit blocks can be very expensive or cheap. The expensive ones are usually the professional ones, which are hardwood and designed to stand up for years to a room full of small children, something more destructive than a nuclear attack. You can look for a cheaper set that will last your child for a few years until he/she grows out of them, or a better one if you intend on having more children.
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