This is a four-part series on the concept of schemas and how young children can learn through schematic play. Each part will focus on three schemas and will provide a brief description of what they are. I will highlight the types of behaviours that you may observe as children engage in schematic play and suggest some activities that you can implement to support a child’s learning and development.

What is schematic play?

Have you ever looked around your classroom and seen boxes of toys tipped across the floor, while in other areas they are all lined up neatly in a row? Or blocks in the book area and books in the play area? On first inspection, you may think the children are just making a mess, when in fact there is some amazing playful exploration and investigative learning going on.

When young children engage in this type of behaviour, they can be engaging in what is known as schematic play. Schematic play is when young children engage in repeated actions and behaviours as they explore the world around them. For example, when a baby repeatedly tips their food off the table, they might be investigating cause and effect. They are learning what happens when they drop food: where it goes, what it looks like on the floor and what it sounds like as it falls.

Schematic play is usually more identifiable in toddlers as it is an important stage of learning and development for young children. However, this form of play can be observed across all ages, stages of development and, in some children, not at all. Schematic play can vary from child to child and there is no set pattern in which type of schema they may engage in. Some children may explore many different schemas at the same time, while others may only engage in one or two.

Through engaging in schematic play, children are making cognitive connections about how things work and gaining knowledge of concepts like cause and effect. These are key skills for further learning and development surrounding more complex functioning skills.

Schematic play is often child-initiated and connected to their particular interest or style of learning at that given time. Children are much more motivated to engage in new experiences when it is something they have a strong interest in. They should be supported and encouraged to explore their chosen schema as it will enable them to widen their play experiences and cognitive skills.

Children with SEND

Some schematic behaviours can be misinterpreted as stimming. Stimming is a repetitive behaviour that is often associated with developmental disabilities, such as autism. The predominant difference between stimming and schematic play is that stimming is more intense, repetitive movement that can interrupt the child’s daily routines and play activities, while schematic play is less repetitive, and young children have more control over how and when they engage with the actions and movements. However, this is not to say that children with SEND do not also engage in schematic play. They should be equally encouraged to explore stimming and schemas.

Types of schemas

There is much debate about how many schemas there are. However, the most common and easily recognised schemas in young children are:

• Transporting
• Trajectory
• Positioning
• Rotational
• Enclosing
• Connecting
• Enveloping
• Transformation
• Orientation

As practitioners, we need to know what each schema is, what it looks like within a play context and how to plan activities for young children to continue exploring them.

Next week

The next part of the series will focus on the transporting, trajectory and positioning schemas. I will provide a brief description of what each schema is and the type of behaviour you may observe as children engage in  schema play. There will also be suggestions of activities that you can implement to support young children’s learning and development.