Are you looking for an innovative way to engage and teach your class? Six Bricks is a versatile learning method that is based on play and can be used to build the skills children need to succeed throughout their school career.
Six Bricks was developed by the LEGO Foundation and is based on the idea of play-based learning. The activities are designed to be engaging and fun, while also helping children develop important skills such as collaboration, communication, creativity, and perseverance.
With proper training, you can use Six Bricks in your classroom to get the best out of children of all levels of development. There is a wide range of activities that can be scaled up or down depending on the abilities of each child.
What is Six Bricks?
Six Bricks is the perfect resource for teachers who are looking for exciting, new tools to introduce to their classroom. It's a way of unlocking unlimited potential in children from ages 3 - 6 or even 7.
The Six bricks method is made up of hundreds of activities, all based on using six large size, Duplo bricks. There are session plans and endless ways in which you can incorporate this way of learning into your curriculum.
It's incredible to watch how children develop the skills that are essential for them to do well at school - all through playing with these bricks.
There are so many skills that are developed - here's a short list of them:
- Numeracy skills: that include number recognition, basic arithmetic functions, use of patterns and transitioning from flat diagrams to 3D models. This includes learning to create graphs and do measurements.
- Problem-solving skills: Encourage your students to think critically and experiment until they find the best solution. This will help them develop perseverance as they work through challenges so that they can identify other ways to solve problems.
- Focus and Attention: Six Bricks is a learning method that uses six LEGO bricks to help children develop short-term memory skills. The bricks are used to create patterns and sequences that the children must remember and replicate. This helps them recall instructions, think logically, and approach tasks in an organized way. This also includes perceptual skills so that children begin to notice similarities and differences in shapes and colours.
- Collaboration Skills: Learn how to work with other children and take turns, listen to others and participate actively in group activities. Children have to communicate with others and work in a team setting to reach a positive outcome. This is also part of the development of social and emotional skills in a child.
- Speech and Language Skills: Children have to listen to the instructions, recall them and work their way through the process of fulfilling the task. They need to have language and literacy skills to be able to ask questions and participate in the debriefs of the activity by answering questions.
- Fine and gross motor movement: We want to be certain that children can hold a pen and form letters. Their muscles in their hands need to be strong - and the brick activities are a great way to make this happen. There are also activities that help with crossing the midline to improve reading skills. There's also a focus on gross motor skills such as skipping, jumping, balancing and turning around.
How do you get started?
To get started with Six Bricks in your classroom, begin by familiarizing yourself with the bricks you need. Each child should have a stack of large size DUPLO bricks in these colours:
Yellow, red, green, dark blue, light blue and orange.
These bricks are in the 2x4 stud formation.
When creating activities with Six Bricks, it’s important to keep in mind the individual needs of each student. You may want to create separate activities for students who are more advanced or those who need extra support. Additionally, you should consider pairing up students who have different levels of development so that everyone can benefit from working together.
When using Six Bricks in your classroom, you will need to provide clear instructions for each activity so that your students understand what they are supposed to do. You should also provide guidance on how to use the bricks effectively so that they can get the most out of their experience.
Six Bricks has so many activities that are constantly being developed by teachers around the world. As soon as there is a theme or a concept that they want to teach, they think:
How could this be achieved during the school day if we learn it through a Six Bricks activity?
It's quite incredible that these bricks could introduce so many skills. The research conducted by the LEGO Foundation demonstrates clearly that so much can be achieved by introducing these tools and techniques - all based off a handful of bricks.
Why be trained in using Six Bricks?
Being trained in the Six Bricks method allows teachers to get the most out of their students.
To get started with Six Bricks, teachers should first complete training in order to understand how to use the program effectively in their classroom. Training will provide teachers with an understanding of how the activities and games work and how they can be adapted for each student’s needs.
Teachers will also learn how to assess student progress through the activities so they can track their development over time.
By completing training in Six Bricks, teachers will have all the tools they need to create an engaging learning environment for their students that encourages exploration and creativity while building important skills for success in school - and beyond!
How can you be trained to use Six Bricks?
Yay4Play has options for you to ensure that you are trained in the fundamentals of applying these bricks activities and educational games to develop their skills and knowledge. It's a great way to do professional development and use these interactive activities and games throughout the year in your class.
The course is suitable for both experienced and new teachers and is applicable for teachers in Early Childhood Centres, Out of School Care, Years K-1, Family Day Care Centres and specialist use for speech and occupational therapy. Although not a curriculum in itself, it is lends itself to many aspects of a Primary School Curriculum.
Our training also includes modules that show you how to use Six Bricks in the following ways:
- Work with Autistic children: This module shows you how to adapt the Six Bricks method for autistic children so that they benefit from the many activities available. It's a way of helping them to play in a social way with others and also to do many of the iterative activities that form part of the Six Bricks approach to learning.
- Use Six Bricks for Mathematical functions: This module aim to give you the skills to use the vast potential of six bricks to introduce mathematical workings and functions in a fun way. Show children just what is possible with numbers as they progress in their understanding. Throw out the textbooks and bring in a fun way of learning maths.
- Introduce computational skills: This module gives you a way of using Six Bricks to begin the concepts that sit behind the ability to code. It's a really vital part of STEAM education and what a way to get children started!
At the end of the training modules, you receive a certificate that indicates 4 hours of professional development.
Our course is open to teachers from around the world and is conducted online through interactive learning modules and video demonstrations.
So, what are you waiting for? Introduce Six Bricks into your classroom and watch your children's eyes light up with excitement each time you do an activity with them.