Learning with LEGOS
For Early Learners
Most kids love playing with LEGOS. So, what about learning with LEGOS? It isn’t a new concept and I am not the first mom to introduce the idea. Learning with LEGOS is refreshing and fun. When traditional methods of learning are not working for a child, try a new approach. Learning with LEGOS is a hands-on way to teach everything from letters, numbers, and even word building. Try some of these activities with your early learner!
As a Christian Book and Amazon affiliate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support. As always, we only recommend items that we truly feel will benefit your homeschooling experience. We appreciate it.
Building is Learning
Over the years, if I haven’t heard it once, I’ve heard it a hundred times! Kids learn through play. It is true. I’ve seen it firsthand. Right now, my kids range in age from 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. Despite their age difference, I can honestly say that it is the play that they facilitate that is oftentimes the most effective lesson of the day. Yes, we have reading time and use workbooks to encourage math and language skills, but building with LEGOS can spark their imagination in ways that a worksheet can’t. I bought a huge bin of LEGOS years ago and it has been used and abused by my boys and girls. It is one of the best investments I ever made.
Learning to Follow Directions
After your child has come accustomed to playing with LEGOS and building their own creations, buy a LEGO kit. Why? Learning how to put a LEGO kit together encourages a child to follow directions and is an excellent confidence booster. Your child will use visuals in the Builder’s Manual to guide them through the kits construction. When your child finishes his or hers build, they will be proud to show you what they made. LEGO kits have been able to claim STEAM status as the toy is more than meets the eye.
Patterns
Want to try to make patterns? This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to teach beginning patterns.
It isn’t hard at all. The children will enjoy you sitting with them and playing patterns. Start by showing them a simple pattern of two colors: blue, green, blue, green, etc. Now, ask them what would come next. Encourage them to make their own tower copying your pattern. It is simple to practice an A-B, A-BB-A, and even an A-B-C pattern using LEGOS. Build upon the basic pattern with three colors or more. Have fun it!
After playing patterns with my daughter, she later came to show me her city of towers… patterns!
Letters and Alphabet
This activity is one that can be used over and over again! First, you will need to rummage through your LEGO box and pull out 26 sets of small LEGO cubes that match in color. On each set write the uppercase letter on one and the lowercase letter on the other. I keep ours in a big gallon plastic bag.
When your child is just learning their letters, you may want to only have them focus on matching a fourth of the alphabet at one time, and then half, and then the whole alphabet at once.
Once your child matches the letters, have them put the letters in order of the alphabet. All of these activities take time, so you may want to do them over the course of several days.
Afterwards, we usually sing the ABC’s and then practice some of our sounds in the form of a game. Usually I will say, “Can you pick out the letter to this sound?” Then I say a sound. My child picks out the letter and holds it up for me to see. Great time to practice those letter sounds that they mix up!
Numbers and Counting
In this example, we have been practicing learning the number words. As you can see from the picture, I simply write the number and number word on each LEGO. My kid’s job is to put them in the correct order with 1 being at the bottom.
Skip Counting By 2's, 5's and 10's
Try using Legos for skip counting! It is simple. As you can see from the photos, I used a permanent marker to write the numbers directly onto the Lego pieces. In this example, we were skip counting by 2’s up to thirty.
Fun way to practice! Try it!
Word Building
What a fun way to work with your child the art of building a word! My daughter and I sat the other day building different words… cat, sat, fat, wet, pet, and so forth! Legos are familiar to her so it was an easy transition from playtime to learning time!
The same letters from the letter match can be used for word building or you can make a set of 26 letters just for this activity bag! Happy Lego learning!
Sorting Colors and Count/Compare
Pour your box of LEGOS out in front of your early learner. Ask them to sort the LEGOS by color. Review the colors with them. This is a great time to review counting and comparing with them. Have your student compare two different colors by asking, “Which color has more? Blue or green?” This gives you an opportunity to count each pile to visually show your child which one has more. If your child does not understand that one number value is greater than the other, than line the LEGOS up to show them the difference.
Join a LEGO Club
LEGOS are usually thought of as in individual building tool. However, over the last decade or more, there has been an uprising of LEGO groups across the nation. In particular, many libraries have joined in on this trend offering LEGO club meetings to the public. These meetings are usually geared for students (I’ve never seen one at the library for an adult, but who knows!). It gives your student the opportunity to turn what we think of as an individual outlet into a group effort promoting socialization and cooperation. Worth looking into!
Food for Thought...
One reason why I choose to homeschool is to encourage my kids to grow in areas that appeal to their strengths. With that being said, we still push for knowledge in key areas such as reading, math, and language. History and science is also incorporated. However, there is a freedom to homeschooling that allows students to pursue areas that personally excite them.
LEGOS allow students to create with no set boundaries. Learning with LEGOS encourages free thinking and independent builders. Happy Building!
Check out our other LEGO Learning Resources!
As your child grows, LEGO can advance with them. See how LEGOS appeal to life long learners and not just early learners. In more recent years, the LEGO line is also producing an education series that encourages coding, engineering, and robotics. Come see how LEGOS can be weaved into your homeschool in LEGO LEARNING.
More Free Learning Resources!
