Introducing the Six Bricks Method—an innovative approach to building a strong foundation in education and creativity.
In this article, we look deeper into this innovative method for playful learning that has been gaining popularity among educators and psychologists alike.
With a focus on hands-on learning and critical thinking, the Six Bricks Method is designed to enhance problem-solving skills and develop core skills such as perceptual skills, emotional skills and language development.
Drawing inspiration from the famous quote by Albert Einstein, “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” Six Bricks encourages children to explore their imagination and think outside the box.
By using just six specially selected bricks in bright colours, this hands-on tool promotes cognitive development, improved motor movement and collaboration.
Let’s look at why learning centres around the world use Six Bricks and explore its benefits in various educational settings.
Join us on this exciting journey as we unravel the mystery behind the Six Bricks Method and discover how it can transform education and inspire creativity.
Understanding the Fundamentals of Six Bricks
Six Bricks was developed in South Africa by Care for Education. There is a solid Bricks Pedagogy that forms the core of this innovative approach to play-based learning.
These bricks are not merely physical objects – they represent critical thinking skills and creative processes that can be developed through active learning. The tactile nature of bricks enhances the learning experience, making abstract concepts more tangible and accessible.
Six Bricks is made up out of a series of hundreds of playful activities that are designed to enhance skills development in so many different ways.
By using these concrete materials in classrooms and at home, you are encouraging children to learn without realising just how much they are gaining!
Here are just some of the skills that they gain:
1. Collaboration – Six Bricks encourages children to work together, sharing ideas and building projects collaboratively. This interaction not only enhances communication skills but also helps children learn how to value different perspectives.
2. Physical Skills – the movement in the activities helps children develop fine and gross motor movement. They play both inside and outside and are not simply passive listeners.
3.Critical thinking, a skill that is paramount in today’s fast-paced world. By engaging in structured activities that require thoughtful consideration, children learn to approach challenges methodically.
4. Bilateral & cross-lateral movements – Many of the activities, particularly using the mat work help develop the brain for learning. This ensures that children use the physical manipulatives so that they can tie their shoelaces for example and read across the page.
5. Children’s working memory – The Six Bricks activities help develop memory so that when children go to Primary school they are able to recall instructions.
Case Studies – Successful Implementation of Six Bricks
Real-world applications of the Six Bricks Method have demonstrated its effectiveness across various educational and professional settings.
Childhood educators, childcare centres and early learning centres that have embraced this innovative approach report significant improvements in participants’ cognitive and social skills.
- One notable case study involves a primary school that integrated the Six Bricks Method into its mathematics curriculum.
Educators observed that children who previously struggled with mathematical concepts and abstract thinking began to engage more deeply when using the bricks to visualize problems.
For instance, when learning about fractions, children used the bricks to create physical representations of different fractions, allowing them to grasp the concept more intuitively. The hands-on approach not only improved their understanding but also fostered a collaborative atmosphere where children learned from one another.
- Another compelling case study comes from a community centre that implemented the Six Bricks Method for an after-school program targeting at-risk youth.
By providing a safe space for creative expression, the program helped children develop essential life skills, such as resilience and problem-solving. Through structured activities using the bricks, children learned to focus on their strengths and collaborate with peers.
- We have also seen a school focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education adopted Six Bricks for its after-school programs. The organization aimed to provide hands-on learning experiences.
By using the bricks in their activities, they observed significant improvements in children’ enthusiasm for STEM subjects.
Participants became more involved in their learning and developed essential skills such as critical thinking and collaboration, demonstrating the method’s effectiveness in fostering interest in academic subjects.
Resources for Learning More About Six Bricks
To delve deeper into Six Bricks, educators, facilitators, and organizations can access a variety of resources that provide valuable insights, tools, and strategies.
Follow us on social media to gain more free activities that you can use when you need to focus on areas such as spatial awareness or childrens working memory.
There is a growing community of educators in Australian schools who are all benefiting from sharing their classroom experience with other like-minded professionals.
They to share experiences, exchange ideas, and seek advice from peers who are implementing Six Bricks. Engaging in discussions with like-minded individuals can inspire new approaches and foster a sense of belonging within the educational community.
How do you get started?
We encourage educators to bring the methodology into core teaching as part of what they do daily with their classes.
We would obviously also love to introduce Six bricks to parents who want to further develop their child’s cognitive skills, literacy skills or social-emotional skills through skill building activities at home.
There are opportunities for educators to use this as a form of professional development. Watch how the core learning skills of your groups begin to immediately improve!
Want to be trained in Six Bricks?
If you are keen to gain training, we have the following choices for you:
- Start off by checking that you have the necessary resources – you might have the right coloured bricks or we can supply these sets of bricks for you.
- The next step is to do one of our self-paced online programs to gain the key Six Bricks principles for this powerful teaching tool. This will enable you to understand how the development of core skills happens through Six Bricks.
- You also explore our learning portal which has hundreds of active games and activities with videos and simple instructions to follow. You will see how to cement concepts such as concepts in language through these activities.
- You can choose to specialise in one of our courses such as using Six Bricks for computational thinking and mathematical skills.
- You then attend one of our live webinar based classes to embed the learning and ensure that your early childhood centre is on track to implement.
You will start to notice how these incredible concrete manipulatives help with so many facets of childhood development – from body laterality to colour awareness!
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