Schemas

How children in the Early Years learn:

"Schemas are patterns of linked behaviours, which the child can generalise and use in a whole variety of different situations. It is best to think of schemas as being a cluster of pieces which fit together". Bruce 1997 

Does your child enjoy tipping out the toy boxes, lining things up or throwing things? Schemas could be the explanation! Schemas are often seen when young children are given the opportunity to lead their own play. They are patterns of repetitive behaviour that help children develop and deepen their understanding of concepts.

Common schemas we often see in the Early Years are:

Trajectory: A child may be interested in how themselves and objects move. The may run around, throw things or be fascinated by running water. 

Enveloping: A child may enjoy covering themselves, others or objects up. This can include using dressing up clothes, blankets, paper and paint.

Connecting: A child will be interested in joining thngs together and separating them. This may involve enjoying a range of construction toys, joining train carriages together or taking them apart and joining dots together when drawing.

Enclosure: A child may enjoy creating enclosed spaces or being in them. Examples include building enclsures with bricks and placing things inside, making dens, putting cars inside the garage or drawing a line around their picture. 

Positional: A child may enjoy stacking or lining up toys and objects, threading or balancing objects on their head. 

Rotational: A child may show fascination when watching the washing machine or fans. They may show particular interest in toys with wheels and cogs or drawing circles. 

Tranforming: A child may like to see, manipulate and explore changes with wet/dry materials or mix sand and water. 

Orientation: A child may enjoy looking at themselves, objects and the world around them from different angles. The may show interest in hanging upside down on climbing equipment, look through their legs or climb up to see things from a different angle. 

To find out more about schemas and how you can support your child at home, please click here.