For second graders at Mineola’s Meadow Drive School, learning comes to life through Lego! Learners are engaging in a hands-on, Lego-based series designed to strengthen problem-solving, critical thinking and cognitive flexibility – all while having fun.
This program was developed by Meadow Drive library media specialist Jennifer Levi.
Week 1: Learners began by building models directly from Lego box cards, honing their spatial reasoning and ability to follow step-by-step instructions.
Week 2: They advanced to creating Lego train tracks with colored tiles, where each color represented a specific action or instruction. This activity reinforced pattern recognition, sequencing and teamwork.
Week 3: The program integrated a Lego app that adds a new layer of challenge. The app changes the meaning of colored tiles depending on the activity – red might represent an emotion, a musical sound, a number of spaces or a location in a community.
By adapting to these shifting rules, learners are developing cognitive flexibility and creative problem-solving skills. Teachers and teacher assistants facilitate the activities in small groups, providing guidance and pausing at key moments to encourage reflection and discussion.
This Lego-based approach combines play, technology and critical thinking to create an engaging and educational experience, helping students build skills they will use in all areas of learning.
