Toy Analysis

TOY ANALYSIS Hossam ElHusseini

SHAPE SORTING CUBE (1-2 YEARS)How this toy enhances cognitive development as defined by Information The toy is targeted to children of 1-2 years of age. Thus, according to Piaget’s stages , a child would be in his sensorimotor stage.Processing: How this toy enhances cognitive development as defined by Piaget: 1) Circular Relations: According to Piaget, children in their sensorimotor stage1) Children are active learners and problem solvers: for a child who has would learn through circular relations; they would try something, if it didn’tno prior knowledge with this toy, he would take much time to figure out work, they try it again. If it does however, they keep on doing it. It’s their curiosity that makes them do it again and again. In order for the child to playhow to do it. However, since children are active learners, they would use with the toy, he/she has to figure out which shape fits in the toy. He/she will try multiple times to get it right. Eventually, he/she will get it right and once thatkeep on trying to solve the puzzle. They would try and keep on trying to fit happens, the child will repeat it again and again. This how the child would differentiate between different shapes; he/she would know if that fits in that holedifferent shapes in different hole until they reach the correct match or not by forming these circular relations. 2) Using senses to explore the world: the toy would improve the child ability tobecause the puzzle wont be finished otherwise. Thus, this toy makes use of use his senses; if you put the toy in front of the child, he/she would start touching the toy and even trying to eat it and smell it. He/she would then realize that thechildren being active learners to enhance their cognitive development. only way to play with the toy is to physically touch it. Thus, enhancing the child’s2) Children undergoes continuous cognitive development: The toy Piaget use of senses to explore the world. It is part of the development process at thatallows children to differentiate between different uniform geometric stage; the child has no linguistic system that is well formulated. Thus, the only way to explore is to use his senses.shapes. This means that differentiating between other shapes would be 3) Schema organization and adaptation: The child has no prior knowledge with the game. Thus, he/she has no existing schema of how to play with the toy.easy for them once they understand how to play with the toy. In other However, the child would start doing actions (flipping the toy around and what not) and in doing so, he/she will be accommodating the knowledge he iswords, the toy wont make them able to differentiate between the shapes experiencing to an existing schemas or assimilating a new one. Therefore whether he/she device a new schema or adapting an existing one, the child willthat come with it, it would also make them able to differentiate between be able to play with the toy and other toys which have similar structure. This is what Piaget suggested regarding how children learn; knowledge is organizedother object that are not included in the toy because the development is into schemas and the child either accommodate (use existing) or assimilate (devise new schema )the knowledge.continuous and it builds gradually upon what is already there. Information Suggestions an adult could make during play with this toy to enhance a child’s development:3) Children are born with elementary mental abilities: Information Processing 1) Wrap color straps around the holes: This way the child not only has to match the shape with the hole, he/she has to also consider the color. Thus, enhancing his useprocessing views humans as computer in terms of problem solving; it of senses and consequently cognitive abilities. 2) Give the child a time limit: the time limit would make the child think faster onproposes that humans are born with elementary mental abilities that how to solve the puzzle and thus enhancing his/her cognitive abilities. The faster the child complete the game, the better he/she becomes in figuring out whichmakes them able to carry out simple tasks. This toy proves this point as shape fits which hole.the children would first try smell the shapes, taste them and touch them.However, because they understand that it’s not edible, they would startphysically moving the objects around and placing them in the holes. Theelementary mental abilities make the children determine what is best todo with the game. Thus, the toy improves the mental abilities of thechildren as it adds to their existing mental abilities.Suggestions an adult could make during play with this toy to enhance achild’s development: (Information Processing)1) Introduce more shapes to the child: This can help enhance the child cognitive abilities. This because the gradual and continuous change of his abilities would help the child between differentiate between more shapes in a shorter period.2) Make the child think of alternatives that can fit in the holes: For example, two triangles in a square hole. This would make him use his existing knowledge and active learning style to try to fit the two triangles in the square hole. Thus, improving his cognitive abilities.