Building blocks or a high-tech toy – which is best for your child?

9:05am Tuesday 30th October 2007

By Sally Jones

THE very early years of childhood are a critical period in the development of young minds, and there are a bewildering array of high-tech toys on the market which claim to help youngsters learn.

But parents who feel guilty about not being able to afford the latest expensive gadgets to aid their little one's development may take heart from new research which suggests that the simplest of toys may be the most effective learning tools for the very young.

A study in the US has found that playing with coloured blocks may lead to improved language development in young children. This comes in the wake of other research showing that some TV shows and baby DVDs may actually hinder language learning.

The latest study, which involved 175 toddlers aged between 18 months and two-and-a-half, found that children who played with blocks scored 15 per cent higher on language assessment than those who didn't.

The study was led by Dr Dimitri Christakis, of the University of Washington in Seattle, who explains that the reason playing with blocks helps children's vocabulary is connected to their inner language, which is a precursor to speech.

"As they play with the blocks, children are speaking to themselves internally," he says. "If they're building a tower, they're thinking I'll put that one on top of that one', or if they're making a car or a castle, it's reinforcing that word in their head."

He says parents often help their children play with blocks, and this is an interactive experience, which is key to learning.

He stresses: "In recent years we've seen an explosion of products which make all sorts of claims that they're educational for kids, but the majority of claims are unsubstantiated.

"However, parents are blinded by pseudo-science and they've grown away from traditional toys.

"We now have our first evidence of a kind of toy that really can improve language - and it's a throwback to a prior time; children using their hands, minds and inner language to reinforce what they're learning."

And the authors of a new children's play book agree that expensive toys aren't necessary to help young children learn. Janni Nicol, co-author with Christopher Clouder of Creative Play for your Baby, said: "Children can be quite content playing with simple toys with which they can exercise their imagination.

"As far as learning's concerned, complex toys that are so-called educational' are unnecessary and parents shouldn't feel obliged to buy them for fear of their child being left behind."

Nicol insists that simply taking part in household tasks, being told stories, playing games that involve movement and being out in nature are of much greater developmental value than expensive toys.

"Experiencing learning in a social context and being given time to interact meaningfully is a better start than having expensive objects that don't relate to the values of childhood," she said.

Your Worcester News recently reported on the top 12 must-have toys for this Christmas. Very few of them were educational - most were high-tech and interactive, such as a dancing Igglepiggle and a Doctor Who Dalek voice changer mask.

There are also a number of computer-based toys available today which, while helping children to gain IT skills, do little to aid speech.

Tina Ross, manager of The Entertainer toy store in CrownGate, said: "Parents seem to buy educational toys throughout the year, but at Christmas it is more about buying things to entertain children. We rarely sell any of the old-fashioned traditional toys such as building blocks, as we find our customers want more up-to-date products."

Karoline Koroczycka, 26, of Pierpoint Street, Worcester, has a 13-month-old daughter, Noemi. She said: "Noemi has problems with her eyes and so I buy things to help her, such as things with lights on. I don't think you need to spend a lot of money."

Maria Fudger, 36, of Windermere Drive, Worcester, has two children, Gianluca, aged three, and Alessia, one. She said: "The traditional building blocks are the best. They are inexpensive and the children love them."

Paul Yapp, 37, who is from Ronkswood, was out shopping with his two-year-old daughter Ruby and seven-year-old niece Hollie. He said: "Ruby loves to play with blocks and I do think they are much better at helping children to learn."