Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to teach kids of all ages a lot of things. This is because putting together a jigsaw puzzle uses many different parts of a child's brain.
A baby learns to recognise things by how they look, not necessarily by where they are. It doesn't matter if a chair is standing up, lying down, or turned on its side. The simple puzzles made for younger children help them develop skills and recognition that are more refined and clear.
One of the first things a young child will learn is that it does matter which way up the pieces go in the hole. A typical puzzle for a young child is made of wood and has a picture and spaces where the pieces can go to make the picture whole. For example, a puzzle of a street scene might need a separate car shape, a bus shape, and a truck shape. Most of the time, these puzzles are strong because a child's first instinct is to try to force the piece into place, no matter what its shape is. With help from an adult, the young child learns how to move the piece until it fits just right.
There are a lot of things you can learn from these very simple puzzles. First, moving the puzzle piece into place requires good hand-eye coordination. Getting the piece in also requires paying attention to the shape of the hole and the piece. At first, the child tries things out and sees what works. When an adult shows you how to think and gives you advice, you start to think more clearly. The child starts to understand space and use both physical and mental manipulation. This happens, though, only after the child has learned through trial and error and memory how to put the piece in correctly.
At this stage, the role of the adult is very important. Talking about the picture and showing the child how to finish it the right way speeds up the process of learning. Puzzles can be a great way for kids to learn new words and recognise things and situations that aren't in their immediate world. The child learns that the piece only fits one way, which is a skill that helps them get ready for reading. In a word, a letter needs to be in the right place, not backwards or upside down.
The level of difficulty of these puzzles for young children can be changed as the child's spatial and logical skills improve. The child also learns to recognise colours and shapes by putting together puzzles. Of course, adult conversation helps the child understand and grow even more. Only the green hole will fit the green shape. This kind of matching activity helps kids learn to read early on.
At this point, it's a good idea to show the child a new puzzle and do it with them at first. Make this a happy, fun time to be with people. Do the puzzles with the child for as long as the child is interested, but be ready to move on to something else. When the child gets better at it and feels more confident, he'll want to do it on his own. If you praise and encourage the child, he or she will keep practising until the skills become easy. Then is the right time to give them puzzles that are harder.
Puzzles help people learn how to reason and figure things out. As well as skills like being aware of space and being able to match and sort. Above all, jigsaw puzzles are a great way to improve your child's language skills and have fun with him or her.
Barbara White
