Help Your Learner Put it All Together (Literally) with This Overlooked Skill
The joy of puzzles!
Throughout my years of writing many, many programs for kiddos, I’ve come across a few that can open doors for a variety of other skills. This week’s post will not expound on deep behavioral theory. Instead, I’m simply posting a component-composite analysis of a skill that I’ve found to be incredibly useful. And it’s a skill area that you might not expect. Not only is it a component to future success in so many other areas, it’s also a play skill, as well. In and of itself, it can be a reinforcing activity.
I suppose you could say that teaching puzzles (and doing it well) could be the proverbial missing piece to the programming…puzzle.
Yes, puzzles. It’s not a skill area a lot of us expect to be so valuable (like scanning, joint attention, eye contact, etc.). And, it’s so popular that it is often overlooked as a programming option completely. Since we’re going the extreme practical route this week, I’ll draw out the phases for the way I teach inset puzzles specifically. But, first, I’ll start with a general component-composite analysis so that we can zoom out to see where the skill of completing inset puzzles falls into place in the grand scheme of things.
Component skills for Inset Puzzles. Test and/or target these skills first.
Learner completes twisting motion.
Learner can pick up smaller objects with pincer grasp.
Learner can push car down a Hot Wheels track.
Learner can drop marble down a marble run.
Learner can fit two, identical objects together (identical plastic cups, plastic spoons, plastic plates) in an array of one or many.
Learner can put rings on a ring stacker.
Learner can put eyes, ears, other features into Mr. Potato Head.
Learner can match/rotate shapes into a shape-sorter.
Concurrent Skills for Inset Puzzles. These are simply skills that I like to work on at the same time—even if the learner is fluent. It gives them a little extra practice with other, similar items as we try to gain fluency in the puzzle department. Note that some of them are listed as component skills, too.
Adds features to Mr. Potato Head.
Puts shapes in shape sorter.
Puts rings on ring stacker.
Phases for teaching Inset Puzzle. For our example, let’s imagine that we’re teaching our learner to complete a 5 piece inset puzzle.
Learner puts last puzzle piece into correct location when it’s orientation is parallel and near to that location (within 1 inch to left, right, above, or below correct location).
Learner rotates and puts in last puzzle piece into correct location when it is oriented perpendicular and near that location (within 1 inch to left, right, above, or below correct location).
Learner rotates and puts in last puzzle piece when they are placed next to the puzzle at any orientation.
Learner rotates and puts in last two puzzle piece when they are placed next to the puzzle at any orientation.
Learner rotates and puts in last three puzzle pieces when they are placed next to the puzzle at any orientation.
Learner rotates and puts in last four puzzle piece when they are placed next to the puzzle at any orientation.
Learner rotates and puts in all puzzle pieces when they are placed next to the puzzle at any orientation.
Composite Skills. Where to go next.
Introduce Jig Saw Puzzles (don’t start with 24 piece puzzle, there’s a process for this too, hit me back if you’d like insight)
10 piece inset puzzle
Introduce Memory (email me about)
Turn taking (you can use the 5 piece jigsaw puzzle—alternate turns putting a puzzle piece in between you and the learner)
Building two-block designs with model
Building two-piece designs with Magna-Tiles with model
Building two-piece Lego designs with model
And that’s it.
A few other tidbits:
Obviously every learner is different, so remaining sensitive to the needs of your learner is a must.
Email back if you’d like any insight in any of the above component or composite skills.
Also, reach out to me with skill areas that you’d be interested in seeing built out, like how I’ve structured this post.