Understanding the Positioning Schema in Early Childhood Development
December 2024
The Positioning Schema, or as it is sometimes known as, the Ordering Schema, is a natural behavioural pattern observed in young children as they explore the arrangement of objects and their own bodies during play. This schema becomes evident when children experiment with order, alignment, and spatial relationships. If you notice a child carefully placing items in a specific arrangement or crawling around the room, they are likely engaging with the positioning schema.
Children fascinated by positioning will often line up objects, stack them, or create patterns. They enjoy games that require balance and movement in different directions, showcasing their understanding of how to manipulate their environment. This play schema is about discovering order and classification, as seen when children sort and organize materials, often tidying up as they go.
Through the Positioning Schema, children are developing a variety of essential skills:
Logical Thinking: Children learn to apply order and organization in their surroundings, which fosters early mathematical thinking.
Mathematical Concepts: They explore numbers, shapes, space, and measurement. Key areas include:
Classification: Sorting objects based on attributes.
Patterns: Recognizing and creating repeating sequences.
Spatial Awareness: Understanding how objects relate to each other in space.
Body Awareness: As they manipulate their bodies and surroundings, children develop a sense of self and spatial orientation.
Emotional Learning: Engaging in schematic play allows children to express their thoughts and feelings symbolically.
Fine and Gross Motor Skills: Maneuvering and positioning objects enhances coordination and balance.
To identify children engaging in the positioning schema, look for signs such as:
Arranging Objects: Children lining up toys or materials in rows or patterns.
Changing Positions: Crawling, climbing, or balancing in various ways.
Creating Order: Tidying up or insisting on specific arrangements, such as how their toys are arranged on the shelf.
This schema can sometimes be misunderstood as obsessive behaviour, but it’s important to recognize that it’s a natural part of development. Children are testing their knowledge of the world around them through these explorations.
To nurture the positioning schema, consider the following ideas:
Provide Diverse Materials:
Offer a variety of objects for stacking, sorting, and aligning, such as blocks, boxes, Lego, or those old games in the back of your cupboard such as dominoes.
Loose parts and natural materials which allow children to naturally sort, count and create.
Collections of items that can be sorted and classified such as cars, balls, rocks and buttons.
Create Movement Opportunities: Set up areas for climbing, balancing, and exploring spatial relationships.
Incorporate Pattern Activities: Engage children in activities that involve creating and identifying patterns using colours, shapes, or objects.
Using specific vocabulary can enhance children's understanding of their explorations. Here are some key terms to incorporate:
Positional Language: On top of, beneath, under, above, below, next to, beside, between, behind, in front of, inside, outside.
Descriptive Terms: Tall, long, short, wide, size, shape, colour.
Directional Concepts: Straight, curved, left, right.
By introducing this vocabulary during play and discussions, you can help children articulate their experiences and deepen their comprehension of spatial relationships.
The Positioning Schema is a vital component of early childhood development, enabling children to explore the world through arrangement and order. By supporting this schema through thoughtful activities and language, you can foster essential skills such as spatial awareness, logical thinking, and problem-solving. Encouraging exploration in this area not only helps children make sense of their environment but also lays the foundation for future learning in mathematics and science. Watch as your children engage with their surroundings and celebrate the natural curiosity that drives their development!
