From birth, children repeat their actions and behaviours (schema) i.e. grasping, lifting, sucking, waving, banging, rolling, posting, connecting.
Children have a natural urge to do the same thing again and again. Just like you when you are learning a new skill such as knitting, riding a bike, gardening.
This repetitive behaviour helps children and adults to develop and deepen their understanding of concepts and helps them perfect the skills they are learning.
Schemas help all of us organise and process our thoughts and feelings.
They help us to think.
As we get older – our schemas do not go away, they just get more and more sophisticated.
Why are they important?
Schemas link directly to how the brain develops and grows.
As children repeat their actions they make connections in their brains, which helps them to modify or make changes to their actions and acquire new skills.
This is a VITALLY IMPORTANT element in young children’s development and learning.
The young brain
Children need opportunities to practise repeatedly what they know and can do, so do read the same book over and over as often as the request it.
What they know becomes better known and with the book example you can extend their skills by talking about things that aren’t in the book, like what happened after the final page.
As parents and carers we can provide opportunities and resources in a child’s environment that encourage them to play and learn in a way that links to their schematic interests.
Here are the commonly quoted schemas seen in young children, the classification is to help the adults, for the children these are more linked and merged and less distinct:
- Trajectory
- Rotation
- Enveloping
- Enclosing
- Transporting
- Positioning
- Orientation
- Connection & disconnection
- Core & radial
