Schema Play: Noticing and Building Upon Children’s Innate Desires

“Schemas are a fancy word for the urges that children have to do things like climb, throw things and hide in small places…They are the building blocks for the brain, repeated behaviour that in turn forges connections in the brain, patterns of unfolding, learning and growth… By knowing about schemas, we can recognize and support their urges and development,” (Caro, 2012).

During this session, we’ll chat about nine common schemas including Orientation, Positioning, Connection, Trajectory, Enclosure, Transporting, Enveloping, Rotation and Transformation, and consider ways that we can build upon what we are observing.

Presenter: Victoria Armstrong