The Block Book

By Elisabeth S. Hirsch

Book Overview

For engaging children's hands, minds, and imaginations, no tool surpasses blocks.

Engrossed in building with blocks, the child is a mathematician, scientist, architect. stage designer, and storyteller. And as children build together, they stretch and grow as problem solvers and collaborators.

The Block Book was the first comprehensive book to explore the values and uses of unit blocks for extending children's growth and development. Using blocks builds self-confidence, enhances social skill, facilitates vocabulary development, and it stimulates eye-hand-body coordination, which are so important for the development of reading skills. As they build with blocks, children discover, invent, imagine, and construct a fuller understanding of their world.

This book, a classic in early childhood education, has been expanded and updated so that teachers and parents can discover exciting possibilities for the effective use of blocks. The time-tested understandings that have made The Block Book a classic are still here, refined and extended with new material that makes the third edition better than ever.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0935989765
• ISBN13: 9780935989762
• Release Date: July 1996
• Publisher: National Association for the Education of You
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.5" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Why play with blocks?

Has anybody read (remembered) "The Block Book" by Elizabeth S. Hirsch? This is a group of essays on kids playing with blocks. The themes emphasize the importance of "free materials" based on a wooden unit block--she apologizes for not including Lego too. There is a great deal of applied psychology and observation, history of the block materials (begins in 1879), descriptions of classroom setup and use. It considers behavior and learning up to about age 7. One essay echoes Montessori's observation that play is hard work, while parting ways over the point of that work (specific lessons/skills vs. working out expanding ideas of the adult world through modelling.) Since the book was researched and written in the 70s, reading it could be nostalgic for many people. There should be more books like this: surely there are teachers illuminating the value of this sort of play still?

Explore Blocks in New Ways!

This book is an excellent resource for any early childhood teacher. It is also excellent for parents of children in the early childhood years. After reading The Block Book, I was able to be a more effective classroom teacher. Children began using blocks in the most amazing ways! Blocks became tools for communication and exploration. The text provides you with concrete information and suggestions making this all possible!