<<Playing with Blocks May Improve Language Development in Toddlers, New Study Finds
October 1, 2007
Playing with toy blocks may lead to improved language development in young children, according to a new study reported in the October 2007 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Early childhood is a critical period in the development of young minds. The newborn brain triples in size between birth and age 2. Long-standing assumptions have been that certain activities during this critical period may promote optimal development while others may hinder it, and development of memory, impulse control and language in particular may be helped by imaginative play.
Lead researcher Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, of the Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the University of Washington conducted this pilot study involving 175 toddlers age 1.5 to 2.5 years. One group of 88 children was mailed two sets of building blocks and two newsletters with suggestions for parents about activities that families could do with the blocks, such as sort by color. The other group of 87 children did not receive any blocks until after conclusion of the study. Parents, who were told only that they were participating in a study of how children use time, completed a questionnaire about basic demographic information at the beginning of the study. They also tracked their child’s activities in a diary during two 24-hour periods during the trial. Parents completed another questionnaire by phone six months after enrollment that included assessments of their children’s language and attention.
Ninety-two families (53 percent) returned at least one diary entry, and exit interviews were completed by 140 families (80 percent). Of those who received the two sets of blocks during the study, 52 (59 percent) had block-play reported in their diaries compared with only 11 (13 percent) of those in the other group.
The study found that distributing blocks was associated with significantly higher language scores in the sample of middle- and low-income children. On average, children who received blocks scored 15 percent higher on their language assessment than those who did not. These results suggest that playing with blocks may be effective in promoting language development. There was no difference found in attention scores between the two study groups.
“Playing together remains the best way parents can help foster their young children’s development,” said Dr. Christakis. “Our findings point to a pragmatic and fun way to improve language acquisition. Though many toy manufacturers claim their products improve children’s cognitive abilities, few such claims are substantiated by research.” This study comes on the heels of other studies by Dr. Christakis and peers showing that viewing media such as some television and baby DVDs marketed with unsubstantiated claims that they help development may, in fact, actually hinder ability to acquire language.
The research speculates that the distribution of toy blocks resulted in more block-play and this block playtime may be replacing other time spent that does not encourage language development. Television time may have also been replaced by block-play. Further study to corroborate these findings and explore whether attention capacity could likewise be significantly improved is suggested by this pilot research.
Research team partners included Frederick Zimmerman, PhD, and Michelle Garrison, PhD, both of Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the University of Washington. The study was funded by Mega Bloks, which provided research support and blocks used in the study, but did not participate in any data analysis.<<
http://www.seattlechildrens.org/home/about_childrens/press_releases/2007/10/002832.asp
<<The University of Washington pilot clinical research study is the latest in a series of recent findings throughout the academic community that identify block play as a constructive alternative to activities that offer little to no value for a child’s development.
In fact, a recent study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a return to “true toys,” like blocks, in which “children use their imagination fully, over passive toys that require limited imagination.1”
“This pioneering pilot research study signals what many in academic circles have suggested for years – block play is not only fun, but is also an intellectually-rewarding activity in which a child can mentally and physically engage,” said Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek<<
http://www.megabloks.com/en/corpo/pdf/children_language_acquisition.pdf
What do you think, is the improvement of language acquisition consequence of:
a) less TV time and more interaction with parents or:
b) a quality of blocks as "true toys"?
October 1, 2007
Playing with toy blocks may lead to improved language development in young children, according to a new study reported in the October 2007 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Early childhood is a critical period in the development of young minds. The newborn brain triples in size between birth and age 2. Long-standing assumptions have been that certain activities during this critical period may promote optimal development while others may hinder it, and development of memory, impulse control and language in particular may be helped by imaginative play.
Lead researcher Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, of the Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the University of Washington conducted this pilot study involving 175 toddlers age 1.5 to 2.5 years. One group of 88 children was mailed two sets of building blocks and two newsletters with suggestions for parents about activities that families could do with the blocks, such as sort by color. The other group of 87 children did not receive any blocks until after conclusion of the study. Parents, who were told only that they were participating in a study of how children use time, completed a questionnaire about basic demographic information at the beginning of the study. They also tracked their child’s activities in a diary during two 24-hour periods during the trial. Parents completed another questionnaire by phone six months after enrollment that included assessments of their children’s language and attention.
Ninety-two families (53 percent) returned at least one diary entry, and exit interviews were completed by 140 families (80 percent). Of those who received the two sets of blocks during the study, 52 (59 percent) had block-play reported in their diaries compared with only 11 (13 percent) of those in the other group.
The study found that distributing blocks was associated with significantly higher language scores in the sample of middle- and low-income children. On average, children who received blocks scored 15 percent higher on their language assessment than those who did not. These results suggest that playing with blocks may be effective in promoting language development. There was no difference found in attention scores between the two study groups.
“Playing together remains the best way parents can help foster their young children’s development,” said Dr. Christakis. “Our findings point to a pragmatic and fun way to improve language acquisition. Though many toy manufacturers claim their products improve children’s cognitive abilities, few such claims are substantiated by research.” This study comes on the heels of other studies by Dr. Christakis and peers showing that viewing media such as some television and baby DVDs marketed with unsubstantiated claims that they help development may, in fact, actually hinder ability to acquire language.
The research speculates that the distribution of toy blocks resulted in more block-play and this block playtime may be replacing other time spent that does not encourage language development. Television time may have also been replaced by block-play. Further study to corroborate these findings and explore whether attention capacity could likewise be significantly improved is suggested by this pilot research.
Research team partners included Frederick Zimmerman, PhD, and Michelle Garrison, PhD, both of Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the University of Washington. The study was funded by Mega Bloks, which provided research support and blocks used in the study, but did not participate in any data analysis.<<
http://www.seattlechildrens.org/home/about_childrens/press_releases/2007/10/002832.asp
<<The University of Washington pilot clinical research study is the latest in a series of recent findings throughout the academic community that identify block play as a constructive alternative to activities that offer little to no value for a child’s development.
In fact, a recent study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a return to “true toys,” like blocks, in which “children use their imagination fully, over passive toys that require limited imagination.1”
“This pioneering pilot research study signals what many in academic circles have suggested for years – block play is not only fun, but is also an intellectually-rewarding activity in which a child can mentally and physically engage,” said Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek<<
http://www.megabloks.com/en/corpo/pdf/children_language_acquisition.pdf
What do you think, is the improvement of language acquisition consequence of:
a) less TV time and more interaction with parents or:
b) a quality of blocks as "true toys"?