Although wooden blocks are a staple in early-childhood classrooms, names of different block shapes (e.g., unit, curve, quarter circle, triangle) may not be as familiar to children as dinosaur names. In Creative Block Play: A Comprehensive Guide to Learning Through Building (2016, p. 99), author Rosanne Regan Hansel notes that “when children are engaged in block play, they are highly motivated to communicate and to try out new words.”

To help children learn new words for block shapes, assign a certain shape to each child and ask them to pick up block pieces by name (e.g., will you please pick up the rectangle unit shape?). Building with blocks presents many opportunities for students to learn and use positional and spatial language, such as “over,” “under,” and “higher.” Based on teachers’ observations, “young children use more sophisticated language and vocabulary during their play than they do during targeted small-group literacy lessons or during informal teacher-child conversations” (Hansel 2016, p. 10).

While building with blocks, young children may make observations, measurements, and comparisons; record observations, thoughts, and ideas; construct arguments with evidence to support their claims; and read and communicate information—all part of the science and engineering practices described in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013). During science inquiry, children will use vocabulary they are comfortable with, supplemented with gestures and drawings as well as technology such as digital photography and audio recordings to describe their work and ideas. New vocabulary words that describe materials, such as “wood” and “rectangle,” can be taught beforehand, but others, such as “balance” and “support,” can be introduced during children’s exploration (Gomez-Zwiep 2015). Harlen (2015, p. 112) notes that introduction of a word depends on a student’s need and relevant experiences and whether it would add to the student’s understanding.

Educators can model how to use specific descriptive words when speaking with children in everyday conversation. For example, try saying, “Please pass me the clear plastic hand lens.” Learning new vocabulary can empower children to make more precise and specific statements to fully describe their work. Instead of saying, “I made a tower,” children might say, “I built a block tower with so many large cylinders that it’s not going to collapse.” Everyday modeling of the science vocabulary involved is especially important for dual language learners who are often pulled out of science class to get extra instruction in English language development (Moore and McCormick Smith 2015).

Educators can also use readaloud time to help children learn new words. See NSTA Connection for additional resources on research on “Picture Walks,” Know-Want to Learn-Learned (K-W-L) charts, and the Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) strategies, or Reading Rockets.

To help students develop shape, positional, and other spatial language around block-building and dimensions.

1. Ahead of time, cut out a set of two-dimensional shapes from cardboard or art foam that represent one face of the shapes of the blocks children will be using (see Internet Resources for shape ideas).
    
2. For several weeks, observe children playing with the blocks for extended periods of time. During their block play, list the vocabulary words they use and those you think they will find useful, including: make, build, block, big, little, up, down, next to, under, between, over, in, out, tall, short, wide, long, large, small, stack, triangle, rectangle, square, unit, double unit, cylinder, quarter circle, castle, and tower.
    
3. When you engage with children in block-building, use the standard block shape names to establish a shared vocabulary. Over time, children will begin to use those names.
    
4. Use positional words when discussing children’s block structures. Instead of saying, “I like your building,” describe it: “I see you have a cylinder on top of each corner of your building.”
    
5. Use the block names to discuss the science, mathematics, and engineering concepts that emerge during block play, such as, “I notice you have two half circles on each side of the stack of unit blocks— both sides are the same so there is symmetry; the structure is symmetrical,” and “You redesigned the house by removing a half-unit square to add an opening so the people can get in.”
    
6. Ask open-ended questions or prompts to engage children’s thinking about their structures: “How did you build a tall building that doesn’t collapse?”
    
7. Offer the two-dimensional shapes to children as a way to represent a structure they built. Children will notice that the 2-D blocks only represent one face of the blocks, and therefore they cannot duplicate a complex 3-D structure using 2-D blocks. This mismatch opens the door to learning additional spatial vocabulary.

Support and extend the introduction of vocabulary by using the Directed Reading Thinking Activity strategy while reading a book about buildings to the children (see Reading Rockets in Internet Resources). Reading the wordless picture book Changes Changes by Pat Hutchins (1971) and later viewing the short animation of the book (Skripkova 1972) will provide many moments for discussion about block-building and the science, engineering, and math concepts involved.

Internet Resources

Fine Wooden Toys

Reading Rockets