1,473
Views
14
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Reports

The Influence of Building Block Play on Mathematics Achievement and Logical and Divergent Thinking in Italian Primary School Mathematics Classes

ORCID Icon, , & ORCID Icon

References

  • Arcavi, A. (2003). The role of visual representations in the learning of mathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 52(3), 215–241.
  • Barner, D., Alvarez, G., Sullivan, J., Brooks, N., Srinivasan, M., & Frank, M. C. (2016). Learning mathematics in a visuospatial format: A randomized, controlled trial of mental abacus instruction. Child Development, 87(4), 1146–1158.
  • Belacchi, C., Scalisi, T. G., Cannoni, E., & Cornoldi, C. (2008). Manuale CPM coloured progressive matrices: Standardizzazione italiana. Florence, Italy: Giunti Organizzazioni Speciali.
  • Bishop, A. J. (1973). Use of structural apparatus and spatial ability: A possible relationship. Research in Education, 9(1), 43–49.
  • Booth, R. D. L., & Thomas, M. O. J. (2000). Visualization in mathematics learning: Arithmetic problem solving and student difficulties. Journal of Mathematical Behaviour, 18(2), 169–190.
  • Brandimonte, M. A., Hitch, G. J., & Bishop, D. (1992). Manipulation of visual mental images in children and adults. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 53(3), 300–312.
  • Brooks, L. R. (1968). Spatial and verbal components of the act of recall. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 16, 157–165.
  • Brosnan, M. J. (1998). Spatial ability in children’s play with Lego blocks. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 87(1), 19–28.
  • Caldera, Y. M., Culp, A., O’Brien, M., Truglio, R. T., Alvarez, M., & Huston, A. C. (1999). Children’s play preferences, construction play with blocks, and visual-spatial skills: Are they related? International Journal of Behavioral Development, 23(4), 855–872.
  • Casey, B. M., Andrews, N., Schindler, H., Kersh, J. E., Samper, A., & Copley, J. (2008). The development of spatial skills through interventions involving block building activities. Cognition & Instruction, 26(3), 269–309.
  • Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2008). Experimental evaluation of the effects of a research-based preschool mathematics curriculum. American Educational Research Journal, 45(2), 443–494.
  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Cohen, L., & Uhry, J. (2007). Young children’s discourse strategies during block play: A Bakhtinian approach. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 21(3), 302–315.
  • De Koning, B. B., & van der Schoot, M. (2013). Becoming part of the story! Refueling the interest in visualization strategies for reading comprehension. Educational Psychology Review, 25(2), 261–287.
  • Di Nuovo, S., Guarnera, M., & Castellano, S. (2014). Mental imagery test. Florence, Italy: Hogrefe.
  • Education Review Office. (2006, June). The quality of teaching in years 4 and 8: Mathematics. Pittsburgh, PA: Edward A. Silver.
  • Elias, G. S., Garfield, R., Gutschera, K. R., & Whitley, P. (2012). Characteristics of games. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
  • Hanline, M. F., Milton, S., & Phelps, P. (2001). Young children’s block construction abilities: Findings from 3 years of observation. Journal of Early Intervention, 24(3), 224–237.
  • Haylock, D. (1997). Recognizing mathematical creativity in schoolchildren. ZDM International Journal on Mathematics Education, 29(3), 68–74.
  • Heisner, J. (2005). Telling stories with blocks: Encouraging language in the block center. Early Childhood Research and Practice, 7(2). Retrieved fromhttp://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v7n2/heisner.html
  • Henniger, M. (1987). Learning mathematics and science through play. Childhood Education, 63(3), 167–171.
  • Hirsch, F. (1996). The block book. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
  • Jirout, J. J., & Newcombe, N. S. (2015). Building blocks for developing spatial skills: Evidence from a large, representative U.S. sample. Psychological Science, 26(3), 302–310.
  • Jordan, N. C., Kaplan, D., Ramineni, C., & Locuniak, M. N. (2009). Early math matters: Kindergarten number competence and later mathematics outcomes. Developmental Psychology, 45(3), 850–867.
  • Kamii, C., Miyakawa, Y., & Kato, Y. (2004). The development of logico-mathematical knowledge in a block-building activity at ages 1–4. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 19(1), 44–57.
  • Kosslyn, S. M. (2005). Mental images and the brain. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 22(3/4), 333–347.
  • Kosslyn, S. M., Margolis, J. A., Goldknopf, E. J., Daly, P. F., & Barrett, A. M. (1990). Age differences in imagery abilities. Child Development, 61(4), 995–1010.
  • Krutetskii, V. A. (1976). The psychology of mathematical abilities in school children. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
  • Lunke, K., & Meier, B. (2016). Disentangling the impact of artistic creativity on creative thinking, working memory, attention, and intelligence: Evidence for domain-specific relationships with a new self-report questionnaire. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(1089). Retrieved fromhttp://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01089/full
  • Mann, E. (2006). Creativity: The essence of mathematics. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 30(2), 236–260.
  • Mrayyan, S. (2016). Investigating mathematics teachers’ role to improve students’ creative thinking. American Journal of Educational Research, 4(1), 82–90.
  • Nath, S., & Szücs, D. (2014). Construction play and cognitive skills associated with the development of mathematical abilities in 7-year-old children. Learning and Instruction, 32(1), 73–80.
  • Nusbaum, E. C., & Silvia, P. J. (2011). Are intelligence and creativity really so different? Fluid intelligence, executive processes, and strategy use in divergent thinking. Intelligence, 39(1), 36–45.
  • Owens, K. (2015). Visuospatial reasoning: An ecocultural perspective for space, geometry and measurement education. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International.
  • Paivio, A. (1991). Images in mind: The evolution of a theory. New York, NY: Harvester.
  • Pehkonen, E. (1997). The state-of-art in mathematical creativity. ZDM Mathematics International Journal on Education, 29(3), 63–67.
  • Piaget, J. (1945). La formation du symbole chez l’enfant: Imitation, jeu et rêve, image et representation [Symbol formation in childhood: Imitation, play and dream, image and representation]. Paris, France: Delachaux et Niestle.
  • Pirrone, C., & Di Nuovo, S. (2014). Can playing and imagining aid in learning mathematics? An experimental study of the relationships among building-block play, mental imagery, and arithmetic skills. Applied Psychology Bulletin, 62(1), 30–40.
  • Pirrone, C., Nicolosi, A., Passanisi, A., & Di Nuovo, S. (2015). Learning potential in mathematics through imagination and manipulation of building blocks. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(4), 152–159.
  • Presmeg, N. C. (2006). Research on visualization in learning and teaching mathematics: Emergence from psychology. In A. Gutiérrez & P. Boero ( Eds.), Handbook of research on the psychology of mathematics education: Past, present and future (pp. 205–236). Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense.
  • Ramani, G. B., Zippert, E., Schweitzer, S., & Pan, S. (2014). Preschool children’s joint block building during a guided play activity. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 35(4), 326–336.
  • Raven, J. C. (1947). Progressive matrices 1947: Sets A, Ab, B, D and E. London, UK: H.K. Lewis & Co.
  • Reifel, S. (1984). Block construction: Children’s developmental landmarks in representation of space. Young Children, 40(1), 61–67.
  • Richardson, M., Jones, G., Croker, S., & Brown, S. (2011). Identifying the task characteristics that predict children’s construction task performance. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25(3), 377–385.
  • Runco, M. A. (1993). Creativity as an educational objective for disadvantaged students (RBDM Series No. 9306). Storrs: University of Connecticut, National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented.
  • Sadoski, M., & Paivio, A. (2013). Imagery and text: A dual coding theory of reading and writing (2nd ed.). Florence, KY: Routledge.
  • Samuelson, P., & Nordhaus, W. D. (2001). Microeconomics (17th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
  • Schacter, J., Thum, Y. M., & Zifkin, D. (2006). How much does creative teaching enhance elementary school students’ achievement? Journal of Creative Behavior, 40(1), 47–72.
  • Siegler, R. S., & Ramani, G. B. (2009). Playing linear number board games—but not circular ones—improves low-income preschoolers’ numerical understanding. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 545–560.
  • Silver, E. (1997). Fostering creativity through instruction rich in mathematical problem solving and problem posing. Zentralblatt für Didaktik in Mathematik, 29(3), 75–80.
  • Soresi, S., Corcione, D., & Emmepiù, G. (1992). Prove oggettive di matematica per la scuola elementare [Objective tests in mathematics for primary school]. Florence, Italy: Organizzazioni Speciali.
  • Stannard, L., Wolfgang, C., Jones, I., & Phelps, P. (2001). A longitudinal study of the predictive relations among construction play and mathematical achievement. Early Child Development and Care, 167(1), 115–125.
  • Sternberg, R. (1999). Handbook of creativity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
  • Stroud, J. E. (1995). Block play: Building a foundation for literacy. Early Childhood Education Journal, 23(1), 9–13.
  • Thomas, N., & Mulligan, J. (1995). Dynamic imagery in children’s representations of number. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 7(1), 5–25.
  • Verdine, B. N., Golinkoff, R. M., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Newcombe, N. S., Filipowicz, A. T., & Chang, A. (2014). Deconstructing building blocks: Preschoolers’ spatial assembly performance relates to early mathematical skills. Child Development, 85(3), 1062–1076.
  • Vianello, R., & Marin, M. L. (1997). Manuale OLC. Operazioni logiche e conservazione. Dal pensiero intuitivo al pensiero operatorio concreto: Prove per la valutazione del livello di sviluppo [Logical operations and conservation. From intuitive thinking to concrete operational thinking: Evidence for assessing development level]. Bergamo, Italy: Junior.
  • Wallace, C. E., & Russ, S. W. (2015). Pretend play, divergent thinking, and math achievement in girls: A longitudinal study. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 9(3), 296–305.
  • Williams, F. (1994). TCD. Test della creatività e del pensiero divergente [Test of creativity and divergent thinking]. Trento, Italy: Centro Studi Erickson.
  • Wolfgang, C., Stannard, L., & Jones, I. (2003). Advanced constructional play with LEGOs among preschoolers as a predictor of later school achievement in mathematics. Early Child Development and Care, 173(5), 467–475.
  • Wraga, M., Shephard, J. M., Church, J. A., Inati, S., & Kosslyn, S. M. (2005). Imagined rotations of self versus objects: An FMRI study. Neuropsychologia, 43(9), 1351–1361.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.