Toy Review Paper
Toy Review Paper
The toy Geometric Stacker also represents the beginning of the preoperational period based on Piaget’s theory. With this toy, children learn how to arrange figures as they need to differentiate the size, and shapes of the elements, and define their colors. Piaget would improve this toy with new interesting elements, such as sound, pictures, or numbers, as he believed that children would learn better when they were curiously satisfied with something. One part of Piaget’s theory is that children need to do things by themselves and create their own understanding. They need to explore instead of being given instructions by adults. Piaget also believed that play was important for learning. According to these beliefs, children need to determine by themselves how to put the stacker toy together. With repetition, their understanding and knowledge will be enhanced as well.
Vygotsky thought that children obtained cognitive development through experience. Vygotsky suggested the zone of proximal development that was presented as a scale. Thus, one end of the scale showed the current level of development, while the other one – an achievement with help. Vygotsky had the same belief as Piaget that play was an important tool for cognitive development. Although his opinion contradicted that of Piaget regarding the interaction with the environment. Thus, Vygotsky declared that children learned through social and cultural interactions (Mooney, 2013). That is why he would say that playing with Geometric Stacker would be useful if the process was controlled by a tutor. An adult should guide and provide verbal instruction on how to put this toy together. The tutor needs to demonstrate how the figure fits, regarding its size, shape, and color. The baby will internalize this knowledge and use it as a guide for its further performance.
Another part of Vygotsky’s theory is the importance of language. This is a tool to build a strategy for a child. The tutor could show and describe how to arrange the figures by their size. Referring to Vygotsky, the tutor could improve the process of the play with the stacker toy by counting the figures during the process of the play or naming colors and shapes. In such a way, the baby could learn new words and acquire knowledge about counting and colors. Using Vygotsky’s method of guided participation, the adult can ask a question about the parts of the Geometric Stacker toy and give hints to a child. This will develop their logical and linguistic skills. At the same time, Vygotsky would say that the child needed to be motivated too. That is why parents need to find techniques in order to motivate their children. Motivation works on the emotional and self-esteemed sense of the skills of achievement. Using interaction methods, the child will gain new knowledge and experience.
Geometric Stacker is a useful toy for the cognitive development of a child. This toy enables the improvement of social, motor, and cognitive skills. The process of play could be conducted in different ways. Piaget thought that the child should gain their own experience without being tutored, while Vygotsky had a different point of view. He claimed that the process of play needed to be controlled by a tutor. Vygotsky admitted that children learned through cultural and social interactions. Otherwise, both theorists agreed that cognitive development would be successful through experience and interaction.