As I watched them think and plan, I began to think about kids and literacy. (Our book study blog party has me seeing literacy foundations everywhere!)
How does building with blocks connect with literacy? Well, I see the kids looking at photos--symbols of something in the real world--and gaining meaning. They see the block structure and interpret what they see to build.
"But there are no words." I know, but learning, meaning, and reading is not just words. We have signs in our world that are symbols. We have instructions that have pictures rather than words.
And, besides, letters and words are just symbols that convey meaning. Words and pictures are conveying meaning for the real world.
That's what books and signs and Bibles and notes are all about. Helping people gain meaning and understanding. Blocks = literacy. That's why I love teaching young kids.
