LEGO Literacy Class
Example: LEGO Japanese Language Class for JK & SK Students
Context
This is a Japanese language and literacy class for Junior and Senior Kindergarten students living in Toronto, ON. These children were born in Canada and are proficient speakers of Japanese and English with reading and writing skills in Japanese behind children living in Japan. They are able to use basic functions of smartphones and tablets (e.g., opening app, turning on camera, taking pictures with smartphone camera) without assistance. There are four to six students in one class setting.
LEGO Stories
The core idea of using LEGO for literacy education was adopted from this blog written by Dominic Tremblay and then modified for the particular context below.
Through “LEGO stories”, students create things and scenes they like, explain their creations to other students in Japanese, and build on their initial creations based on comments from other students and a teacher through iterations. Students are encouraged to use magnetic “labels” (Japanese words printed on small magnetic strips to describe things, characters, scenes etc. in their creations), attach them to their LEGO works, and use these labels when they explain their works to their peers. Once they are done with most of their scene, they will explore how they could create one story combining individual creations of scenes. Using labels they created for their scenes, they will order labels as they read words aloud together and collectively explain the story, which will be captured by a smartphone (teacher manipulating) to be later shared with their parents as a digital story.
The aim of this activity is to have them express abstract ideas through manipulating physical objects, practice explaining their ideas in Japanese, and become familiar with Japanese writing systems by making connections between letters and sounds).
Room & Equipment
The classroom consists of open space in the center, surrounded by LEGO workspace with digital device holder, art creation space, and three magnetic easel whiteboards. The room floor is all surfaced with carpet.
LEGO workspace:
This space consists of two long wooden desk with their height adjusted to small children, two kids chair for each desk, drawers for coluor sorted LEGO pieces, and a LEGO plate holder. Each child sits toward the wall to concentrate on their work. Students can either work individually or as a group; in the latter case, chairs are arranged to be placed next to each other for easier collaboration.
Beside the workspace, there will be a few tablets and smartphones in a digital device holder for students to freely use to take pictures of their experience. Images taken by students will be used as a tool to reflect on their experience later on with photovoice method (Wang, 2022).
Center space:
Nothing is placed in the center except for whiteboards with materials and supplies to explain ideas (i.e., magnetic labels with pre-printed words, erasable magnetic strips to create new labels, whiteboard markers in different colours, mini scissors, and sticky notes). Free open space allows students to freely move across different areas and gather while engaging in whole group discussion and story making. In this center space, students sit in a circle to share and discuss their LEGO works or work with magnetic word labels on whiteboards.
Art creation space:
This space consists of two small wooden desks with two chairs (one for each desk) placed facing each other and art craft materials, tools, and supplies (e.g., pen, papers, glue, scissors, tapes) in a utility cart. Students use this art space if they choose to explain their LEGO works through art (e.g., drawing, painting) instead of using word labels.
Learn how LEGO Education can be used as a hands-on literacy tool that inspires students to collaborate, communicate and create.
LOGICS Academy podcast with Lego Education Certified Teacher Trainer, Dominic Tremblay.