Schools may begin teaching maths using LEGO

By Josie Timms

A product launched this month by one of the world’s biggest brands could see children being taught maths using one of their favourite toys.

Children across the country could be taught maths using LEGO after the MoreToMaths product launches worldwide later this month.

The product has been under development by a branch of the toymaker’s company, LEGO Education, at LEGO’s Billund headquarters in Denmark and in the US for the last two years. It has been adapted to teach mathematics as part of England’s National Curriculum for five to seven year olds in key stage one.

The product, which is currently being tested in a school in Shropshire to see how well it does, could cause concern to those who believe children may just see the product as a toy rather than learning equipment.

However, LEGO Education has defended the product, stating: “According to research by Carbonneau in 2013, manipulatives used for teaching maths need to be “just right” in perceptual richness in order to be most effective. If the manipulatives are too rich in detail, they will have a tendency to disrupt and disturb learning. Alternatively, if they have too little detail, they lose the motivational effect.

“The LEGO bricks chosen for MoreToMaths enable students to create solutions for maths problem solving using simplistic models, with just the right amount of perceptual richness to inspire learning – whilst still clearly showing the maths in focus through real-world connections. Every brick in the set was chosen to support maths learning. From the colour selection, to the shapes, sizes and number of studs, each brick serves a purpose and lends itself to the solutions modelling and problem-solving process.”

LEGO Education already offers literacy, science and computing products, but its expansion into maths comes at an appropriate time with a more demanding national curriculum level for maths being introduced.