Exploring Family Relationships with Thinkblocks

Dr. Bhairavi Govindarajan

In this article, we will think about family relationships with cognitive jigs. Practice visual thinking with children using topics such as family to set the stage for learning throughout life! This lesson was developed by Dr. Bhairavi Govindarajan with her 8 year old daughter, Pragnya.

Building with Cognitive Jigs

Cognitive jigs are reusable structures that we use to organize visual and/or tactile maps. A small number of jigs are used repeatedly to build visual maps in a systematic and consistent way. Cognitive jigs are templates that can be used repeatedly to organize information. You don’t have to tell your child about jigs! Use them consistently in building your maps and they will learn these jigs through immersion and observation. In this article, a familiar topic (family relationships) is being used to present jigs to a child.

Jigs are often familiar structures. Two such jigs are lists and barbells (relationships between two ideas). While many jigs are familiar, we may not be using these jigs in a systematic and orderly way to support learning. Further, familiar jigs can be evolved to other useful jigs that are less familiar and not used regularly.

One such jig is the RDS (Relationship — Distinction — System) jig. The RDS jig is a useful combination of the DSRP (Distinction, System, Relationship, Perspective) elements. In this lesson, Pragnya and her mother explore RDS with Thinkblocks. Thinkblocks is a tactile tool developed by Cabrera Research Labs. Additional information about Thinkblocks is available here.

By learning RDS with a simple example of the relationship between Pragnya and her sibling, Pragnya is now aware of a cognitive jig that can be repeatedly in different settings. Ananth and Rama have used RDS since Ananth was in elementary and continue to use it to this day!

1. R (Relationship)

Set up two blocks and label them. Draw a line between them to show a relationship.

2. RD (Relationship-Distinction)

Place a block on the relationship line. Discuss the relationship between the two ideas and label the box on the relationship line. As shown below, it may be possible to label the relationship in multiple ways. The relationship is now distinguished as we have specified the nature of the relationship and labeled it.

2a. Sibling relationship

Lesson for Pradyun

The same lesson was adapted for use with 2.5 year old Pradyun. Pictures were attached to the Thinkblocks for Pradyun.

Tips:

1. Use one idea/concept on each Thinkblock
2. Attach a picture for the concept
3. Point to each Thinkblock while talking
4. Move blocks to change what is being communicated.
5. Rebuild and Talk

At younger ages, rebuild and talk is particularly important for learning language. Rebuild and talk can be used to teach

• information or concepts
• structure

By consistently using cognitive jigs to organize information, even young children can be immersed in structuring information in a disciplined way setting the stage for developing orderly thinking habits for lif.

Playing

Brushing

2b. Interactions

3. RDS (Relationship-Distinction-System)

The relationship between the siblings is now shown as a system. The relationship consists of many parts (plays with, fights over, helps with, and enjoys).

4. RDS — Expanded

The RDS has now been expanded to show more details of the relationship!

5. RDS + P (Relationship-Distinction-System — Perspective)

A perspective (mom) has now been added to the model to express the idea that this system of relationships is the relationship between the siblings as viewed by the mother.