Trajectory Schema

Helps with understanding concepts like distance, speed height or cause and effect. Children presenting with this schema will often throw, drop and roll objects. Ideas to extend this schema could include: throwing games, cars and ramps, running water.

Transporting Schema

Helps children develop their gross motor skills and special awareness. Children presenting with this schema will often move objects from one place to another. This can involve carrying, pushing and dragging objects. Resources that can help this schema include: bags, baskets, trolleys, pushchairs and activities that involve scooping and pouring. If you have a child in your setting with a transporting schema, you will rarely find recourses in the places you put them!

Enclosure / Containing Schema

Helps develop children’s understanding of boundaries and containment. Children presenting with this schema enjoy placing things inside other things or creating enclosed spaces. Resources that can help children with this schema include: blankets and throws, large boxes, containers and pots with lids.

Enveloping Schema

Explores the ideas of covering things, spaces and themselves! Children presenting with this schema will often: dress up in hats and scarves, often covering their whole face or when using paint will apply several layers of paint on the same piece of paper and then may fold the paper several times. They may even cover their pets with boxes or blankets! Resources that can help children with this schema include: dressing up clothes, wrapping paper and envelopes, camouflage fabric, cellophane and clear transparent paper, dens and tents.

Rotational Schema

This schema helps children to understand how they/objects turn. Through this they are gaining an understanding of cause and effect. Children will be fascinated by spinning objects or anything that rotates, such as wheels or fans. Resources that can help children with this schema include: fans/windmills, Cogs, wheels of all description i.e. cars bikes, pushchairs. Roundabouts and mixing ingredients with a spoon.

Collecting Schema

This Schema helps with categorisation and organisation. Children will like to collect objects and organise them. Children will be seen collecting items wherever they go i.e. rocks/pebbles/stones, they may then categorise them in shape, colour or size. Resources that can help children with this schema include: Any loose part resources that children can make collections of and allow them space to sort and display their collections. They will make the connections themselves and sort to their own agenda.

Connection Schema

This schema helps develop  problem solving and fine motor skills. Children presenting with this schema, will enjoy putting things together and fastening objects and tying things together with string. Resources that can help children with this schema include: elastic bands, ribbon, string and cable ties, pipe cleaners and sticky tape. Objects that can be taken apart (old phones or clocks). Train tracks, Duplo or any other construction resources.

Orientational Schema

This schema allows children to see things from a different angle, learning about height, weight, width and balance. Children presenting with this schema may turn objects and themselves around and upside down, possibly run up the slide and enjoy being at the top. Resources that can help children with this schema include: Puzzles or activities that require pieces to fit into an exact space, sand timers, construction toys like Duplo/Lego or magnetic shapes/blocks. Maps and globes.