ERIC Number: EJ1479539
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Aug
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1082-3301
EISSN: EISSN-1573-1707
Available Date: 2025-02-12
Making with LEGOs to Improve the Writing of Young Children
Qianyi Gao1; Anna Hall2; Virginia Theriault2
Early Childhood Education Journal, v53 n6 p2053-2062 2025
The Maker Movement has gained popularity in educational settings due to its emphasis on hands-on creation and fostering creative expression. While making is often associated with STEM disciplines, literacy educators are increasingly interested in exploring the intersection between making and writing. This qualitative study examines the impact of LEGO building on young children's writing. Over the course of eight weeks, five participants from a third-grade classroom engaged in small group sessions that integrated LEGO building with writing tasks. Participants demonstrated enhanced expository writing skills, increased concentration and focus during writing tasks, and a shift in emphasis from spelling accuracy to content clarity. The findings underscore the potential of LEGO building as a valuable tool for improving the writing of young children and highlight the promise of integrating making activities to writing instruction.
Descriptors: Shared Resources and Services, Toys, Elementary School Students, Grade 3, Young Children, Literacy Education, Small Group Instruction, Expository Writing, Attention, Accuracy
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Grade 3; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1University of Iowa, College of Education, Iowa City, USA; 2Clemson University, College of Education, Clemson, USA