LEGO Learning
For Older Students
Since my oldest just turned 11 and he is quickly approaching middle school, you may think that Legos are a thing of the past. Not really. The boys and I recently watched the documentary, “LEGO BRICKUMENTARY.” It was inspiring. The genius behind some of the LEGO creations are mind boggling. With that being said, LEGOS is not just for your little ones. LEGOS can be a family activity and an educational one. Take a look at how you can incorporate LEGO LEARNING into your child’s education! Have fun building with the BRICK!
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Lego Brickumentary
The LEGO BRICKUMENTARY is fascinating. It takes you into a creative world of unfathomable possibility. In this documentary, you will see how the multi-million dollar toy company got its start and how it grew its brand over the years. Your perception of LEGO may change after viewing the LEGO Brickumentary. LEGOs are no longer a toy just for your kids. It has evolved into a therapy tool for young and old. Grown men and women are using LEGOs to display architecture and promote art. LEGOs is a creative outlet for all ages. Worth watching!
Construct your own LEGO build
Building with LEGOS to construct skyscrapers, bridges, and out of this world vehicles is in itself a form of engineering. When a student creates their own original LEGO build, he or she is learning. They are learning through play. As they grow, that play can turn into something more as seen in the LEGO documentary.
Learn to Follow Basic 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.
You can print out basic instructions for the Classic LEGOS here. I let my son look through the different creations before printing. Viewing the different models gave him enough ideas and jumping off points to go make his own versions. This is an awesome educational activity.
Create a Builders Book
When my middle son was younger, he took to building pretty quickly. He found it hard to focus on everyday tasks, but when it came to building, he would hyper-focus on the task at hand. He was so proud of each of his builds that he would put them in a safe place where no one was allowed to touch them. Over time, his collection grew. It was cumbersome and made it difficult to continue building since so many of the pieces were tied up his collection. This gave way to the creation of the Builder’s Book.
I bought a small photo album where we could keep track of all of his creations. He was rather pleased with his portfolio and was quick to show it to those that visited our house! As the years have passed, his builds have become more sophisticated. However, these pictured hold good memories for me. This was the beginning.
Join a LEGO Club or Start One
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.
If your library does not offer a LEGO club or it doesn’t meet your specific needs, you may want to start a LEGO Club of your own. It really isn’t that hard to do. Gather a small group of your child’s friends and have them over to build. You may want to facilitate a blind bag build. This is where you put a certain amount of LEGO pieces in a bag randomly and allow the group members 5-10 minutes worth of time to build using what they have in their bag. There are lots of ideas on the web to discover if this is something that interests you.
Take a LEGO Homeschool Co-op Class
LEGO classes are popular with homeschool co-ops. Two of my sons took a LEGO class offered at the local co-op years ago. The class usually offers students a lesson in building language and vocabulary as well as constructing. There are different levels of building so be sure to take that into consideration when signing up for one of these classes.
Attend a LEGO Convention
LEGO fans have begun and run LEGO Conventions all over the nation. These conventions vary, however, they often have common show pieces as they are a community of LEGO Master Builders. The creativity and time devoted to so many of these builds is simply put- phenomenal. If you ever get a chance to attend one of these conventions, go. I have never been, but I would go in a heartbeat if one was close to where I live.
Upgrade to LEGO Education
As your child grows, look into the LEGO Education products. There may not be a LEGO homeschool co-op class that interests you, but you can make your own class at home. LEGO has some awesome education kits for middle and high school students that is beyond the typical stereotype of LEGO. Robotics and coding are both areas that can be pursued in these education kits. The LEGO Education kits are a worthwhile investment.
Consider a Trip to LEGO LAND
I wish I could say we have been to LEGO LAND, but sadly, I can’t. It does look pretty awesome though and I have heard from friends that is worth going to. If you live near one, I wish you a great time!
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!
Learning with LEGOS is effective and fun. See how we use LEGOS in the early years to support our everyday goals of learning to read and basic math skills. LEGOS can be used to teach patterns, colors, numbers, letters, sounds, and so much more! Check out LEARNING WITH LEGOS!
More Free Learning Resources!
