Unit block

Unit block

A unit block is a type of standardized wooden toy block for children. Known also as standard unit blocks or Kindergarten blocks, these building blocks are common in preschools and some Kindergarten classrooms in the United States.

izes

A unit block is 5.5 inches long, 2.75 inches wide, and 1.375 inches thick [ [http://www.abcwoodenblocks.com/unit-block-sizes-and-shapes/ Unit Block Sizes and Shapes] , All aBout Children’s wooden blocks] . Larger pieces include the double (11 inches long) and quadruple (22 inches long) sizes. Smaller sizes are made in various fractions of the standard unit.

History

Unit blocks were designed by educator Caroline Pratt in about 1905 [ [http://www.oldfashionedblocks.com/standard_unit_building_blocks.html Old Fashioned Blocks - Unit Blocks] ] as a larger version of the Froebel Gifts designed Friedrich Froebel for the first Kindergarten in 1837.

John Dewey had previously encouraged the use of Froebel Gifts for building. Unit blocks are larger than Froebel Gifts and more suited to creative play on the floor. Praise for Pratt's work from John Dewey soon brought national acclaim.

Pratt founded the City and Country School in 1914 in New York [ [http://www.cityandcountry.org/cc2/mission.html City and Country School Mission/Philosophy] ] .

Wood

Unit blocks vary in price according to the wood used and the manufacturer. Maple blocks (the original wood put forth by Pratt) are more expensive than birch or beech [for example, see [http://www.barclaywoods.com/Blocks_Quality.htm Barclay's Quality Issues of Children's Blocks] ] .

External links

* [http://www.ozpod.com/store/unit.html Buy maple Unit Blocks online]

References


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