Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles provide brain food for young minds. Eye movement and eye-hand coordination help prepare children for reading. Experiences between the ages of 0 and 3 help "lay the foundation children need for lifelong self confidence and problem solving, and empowers them to explore, make mistakes and learn. Puzzles may be educational in content, helping children learn basic skills (colors, counting alphabet) and about their world (animals, transportation, careers). Well made, quality products combine these educational values with fun. The social aspect of working a puzzle may not be apparent at first, but in research done by Marlene Barron, head of West Side Montessori School in New York, three and four year olds were challenged with 100 - 300 piece puzzles, with surprising results. The "children shared strategies with partners" such as isolating colors, searching for particular designs or shapes. "Doing a jigsaw puzzle is a social literacy activity rich with conversations about the process, about the story represented by the picture, about the children's personal experiences connected to the picture" Barron noted. (Barron) Working on higher level puzzles is an activity that children can do at home as well, working on it over time to complete the project in progress. Nancy Joseph, owner of a store in Florida, "notes that puzzles encourage concentration, aid in fostering coordination and color matching, and still are fun." (Schulman) What more could we want! So this Christmas don’t forget to include jigsaw puzzle in your list and see your kids grow and learn.