Knowledge under Construction The Importance of Play in Developing Children's Spatial and Geometric Thinking

Knowledge under Construction is the first to examine young children's spatial and scientific thinking through their architectural constructions with Legos and blocks. The authors' coding system allows teachers and parents to observe and record children's cognitive behaviors related to spatial thinking. In challenging Piaget's thesis, the authors illuminate our conceptions of children's emergent knowledge of space and scientific inquiry, and provide new insight into alternative ways to measure cognitive abilities in children based through block play.

Daniel Ness is associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Learning at Dowling College Stephen J. Farenga is professor and former chairman of the Department of Human Development and Learning at Dowling College