? about puzzles
multimomma
Just wondering what kind of input I'd get here. Friends and I were talking about putting
together puzzles, and someone mentioned how kids should be taught to do the outsides
first, follow the picture on the box etc. I must admit that we did that with our oldest, and he
hates puzzles. I feel that his personality doesn't lend itself to doing puzzles anyway, but I
hate to think that micromanaging his puzzle technique didn't help ;-) Is it truly a
developmental stage that people reach, or do people put puzzles together differently?
Now when my hubby and I do a puzzle, we always spend set-up time turning all the pieces
over, separate the border pieces, put those together...so if the kids are involved, how should
we handle it. I mean, it's an activity that we start, and we're doing it our way, but when the
kids come up, they just go at it willy-nilly. So, how do we respect their need to experiment
with puzzling, when there's a thousand pieces scattering everywhere? There has to be a spot
in the middle. What do ya'll do?
Thanks for ideas...
together puzzles, and someone mentioned how kids should be taught to do the outsides
first, follow the picture on the box etc. I must admit that we did that with our oldest, and he
hates puzzles. I feel that his personality doesn't lend itself to doing puzzles anyway, but I
hate to think that micromanaging his puzzle technique didn't help ;-) Is it truly a
developmental stage that people reach, or do people put puzzles together differently?
Now when my hubby and I do a puzzle, we always spend set-up time turning all the pieces
over, separate the border pieces, put those together...so if the kids are involved, how should
we handle it. I mean, it's an activity that we start, and we're doing it our way, but when the
kids come up, they just go at it willy-nilly. So, how do we respect their need to experiment
with puzzling, when there's a thousand pieces scattering everywhere? There has to be a spot
in the middle. What do ya'll do?
Thanks for ideas...
Robyn Coburn
<<<<Now when my hubby and I do a puzzle, we always spend set-up time turning
all the pieces over, separate the border pieces, put those together...so if
the kids are involved, how should we handle it. I mean, it's an activity
that we start, and we're doing it our way, but when the kids come up, they
just go at it willy-nilly. So, how do we respect their need to experiment
with puzzling, when there's a thousand pieces scattering everywhere? There
has to be a spot in the middle. What do ya'll do? >>>>.
Jayn is the person who always instigates the puzzle making. I am the person
who does most of the work.
I like to start by doing the edges so that is what I do. Last time I started
a puzzle Jayn very sweetly went through the box looking for edge pieces for
me. She also particularly likes to find any faces. Usually she ends up
searching for particular colors, such as the stripes on a shirt or the
particular flowers or the roof tiles. Whatever seems to be distinctive. She
plays around putting them together. Then she will generally wander off and
lose interest until the puzzle is close to being done. She will return to
put in the last few pieces.
The fastest way I know to DIScourage her involvement in any activity is to
tell her how to do it - even gently directing her process will cause her to
just stop and go away. Sometimes not doing that requires a lot of breathing
and silent self talk on my part.
What is more important? That you and dh get to do the puzzle together, or
that it be a shared activity? If you and your dh find it too frustrating to
share the puzzle with your kids and their more anarchic approach, I suggest
that you get more puzzles so that they can do their own near you.
Just let them do it in their own ways.
Robyn L. Coburn
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.371 / Virus Database: 267.14.9/217 - Release Date: 12/30/2005
all the pieces over, separate the border pieces, put those together...so if
the kids are involved, how should we handle it. I mean, it's an activity
that we start, and we're doing it our way, but when the kids come up, they
just go at it willy-nilly. So, how do we respect their need to experiment
with puzzling, when there's a thousand pieces scattering everywhere? There
has to be a spot in the middle. What do ya'll do? >>>>.
Jayn is the person who always instigates the puzzle making. I am the person
who does most of the work.
I like to start by doing the edges so that is what I do. Last time I started
a puzzle Jayn very sweetly went through the box looking for edge pieces for
me. She also particularly likes to find any faces. Usually she ends up
searching for particular colors, such as the stripes on a shirt or the
particular flowers or the roof tiles. Whatever seems to be distinctive. She
plays around putting them together. Then she will generally wander off and
lose interest until the puzzle is close to being done. She will return to
put in the last few pieces.
The fastest way I know to DIScourage her involvement in any activity is to
tell her how to do it - even gently directing her process will cause her to
just stop and go away. Sometimes not doing that requires a lot of breathing
and silent self talk on my part.
What is more important? That you and dh get to do the puzzle together, or
that it be a shared activity? If you and your dh find it too frustrating to
share the puzzle with your kids and their more anarchic approach, I suggest
that you get more puzzles so that they can do their own near you.
Just let them do it in their own ways.
Robyn L. Coburn
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.371 / Virus Database: 267.14.9/217 - Release Date: 12/30/2005
Sandra Dodd
On Jan 1, 2006, at 11:32 PM, multimomma wrote:
I think kids should be helped to learn.
Not everyone puts the border together first. Some people love to do
borders; others prefer going by color. My sister (the best at
puzzles I've ever known) has some elaborate sorting by shape that no
one understands but her.
If there are going to be rules about working puzzles, life in that
family will be smaller and stiffer than it needs to be.
-=-So, how do we respect their need to experiment
with puzzling, when there's a thousand pieces scattering everywhere?-=-
Maybe get cardboard flats, or the lids of Xerox boxes, so pieces can
be sorted into places other than the table. Those make work spaces
that can be taken aside, or all the blue pieces can be set aside in a
box, or something.
Pieces shouldn't be scattering everywhere; that's not cool. I hope
it was an exaggeration.
Principles instead of rules might be the key to this.
http://sandradodd.com/rules
(things by various people are there, and linked)
If you help your children understand the principles, you won't need
rules.
Sandra
> -=-Just wondering what kind of input I'd get here. Friends and II don't think kids should be taught.
> were talking about putting
> together puzzles, and someone mentioned how kids should be
> taught...-=-
I think kids should be helped to learn.
Not everyone puts the border together first. Some people love to do
borders; others prefer going by color. My sister (the best at
puzzles I've ever known) has some elaborate sorting by shape that no
one understands but her.
If there are going to be rules about working puzzles, life in that
family will be smaller and stiffer than it needs to be.
-=-So, how do we respect their need to experiment
with puzzling, when there's a thousand pieces scattering everywhere?-=-
Maybe get cardboard flats, or the lids of Xerox boxes, so pieces can
be sorted into places other than the table. Those make work spaces
that can be taken aside, or all the blue pieces can be set aside in a
box, or something.
Pieces shouldn't be scattering everywhere; that's not cool. I hope
it was an exaggeration.
Principles instead of rules might be the key to this.
http://sandradodd.com/rules
(things by various people are there, and linked)
If you help your children understand the principles, you won't need
rules.
Sandra
[email protected]
I tried the " if you put the border together first , it seems easier " way ......At first , I had to walk away if they chose NOT to do it as suggested (before I discoverd this new world of parenting), b/c it was SO hard for me to see them "waste" hours ...(I'm so ashamed) BUT, if I stayed , I would say something negative........ANYway, many puzzles and lots of growing on my part later, One son puts the border together first and the other just runs with whatever piece he sees....and both ways work ;).........
Lisa
_____________________________________________________________
Netscape. Just the Net You Need.
Lisa
_____________________________________________________________
Netscape. Just the Net You Need.
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: multimomma <autismhelp@...>
Just wondering what kind of input I'd get here. Friends and I were talking about
putting
together puzzles, and someone mentioned how kids should be taught to do the
outsides
first, follow the picture on the box etc. I must admit that we did that with our
oldest, and he
hates puzzles. I feel that his personality doesn't lend itself to doing puzzles
anyway, but I
hate to think that micromanaging his puzzle technique didn't help ;-) Is it
truly a
developmental stage that people reach, or do people put puzzles together
differently?
Now when my hubby and I do a puzzle, we always spend set-up time turning all the
pieces
over, separate the border pieces, put those together...so if the kids are
involved, how should
we handle it. I mean, it's an activity that we start, and we're doing it our
way, but when the
kids come up, they just go at it willy-nilly. So, how do we respect their need
to experiment
with puzzling, when there's a thousand pieces scattering everywhere? There has
to be a spot
in the middle. What do ya'll do?
-=-=-=-
Sounds as if you have a lot of "shoulds," "have tos," "needs to," and "musts!" <bwg>
I try to find edges first, but that's what's easiest for me. My son sees puzzle pieces COMPLETELY
differently! He'll walk by and see two pieces on opposite sides of the table and snap them together. He
sees the whole picture and has been able to do that since he was a toddler. I see it in edges and colors.
Cameron actually sees the puzzle pieces and how they fit together---even when one is upside-down! He just
has a different way of looking at it.
We work together: I put the edges together and can figure out colors, but he can just throw 1-2 pieces
that just fit. We hang on to those until they fit in the bigger picture.
I never thought he was doing it WRONG though! He just sees it differently. I can't imagine making him do
it my way any more than I could imagine doing it his way---IT WON'T WORK! <G>
~KellyKelly LovejoyConference CoordinatorLive and Learn Unschooling Conferencehttp://liveandlearnconference.org
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
From: multimomma <autismhelp@...>
Just wondering what kind of input I'd get here. Friends and I were talking about
putting
together puzzles, and someone mentioned how kids should be taught to do the
outsides
first, follow the picture on the box etc. I must admit that we did that with our
oldest, and he
hates puzzles. I feel that his personality doesn't lend itself to doing puzzles
anyway, but I
hate to think that micromanaging his puzzle technique didn't help ;-) Is it
truly a
developmental stage that people reach, or do people put puzzles together
differently?
Now when my hubby and I do a puzzle, we always spend set-up time turning all the
pieces
over, separate the border pieces, put those together...so if the kids are
involved, how should
we handle it. I mean, it's an activity that we start, and we're doing it our
way, but when the
kids come up, they just go at it willy-nilly. So, how do we respect their need
to experiment
with puzzling, when there's a thousand pieces scattering everywhere? There has
to be a spot
in the middle. What do ya'll do?
-=-=-=-
Sounds as if you have a lot of "shoulds," "have tos," "needs to," and "musts!" <bwg>
I try to find edges first, but that's what's easiest for me. My son sees puzzle pieces COMPLETELY
differently! He'll walk by and see two pieces on opposite sides of the table and snap them together. He
sees the whole picture and has been able to do that since he was a toddler. I see it in edges and colors.
Cameron actually sees the puzzle pieces and how they fit together---even when one is upside-down! He just
has a different way of looking at it.
We work together: I put the edges together and can figure out colors, but he can just throw 1-2 pieces
that just fit. We hang on to those until they fit in the bigger picture.
I never thought he was doing it WRONG though! He just sees it differently. I can't imagine making him do
it my way any more than I could imagine doing it his way---IT WON'T WORK! <G>
~KellyKelly LovejoyConference CoordinatorLive and Learn Unschooling Conferencehttp://liveandlearnconference.org
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
michele oquinn
I realized the last time the three of us (36/ ds 11/
dd 14) did a puzzle very differently. I, too, see an
image of the "shape" needed to match any gap. My son
sees colors. My daughter is just intense...not
wanting to leave the puzzle till its done. I can
start off thinking I'm looking for a slightly pink
piece with 3 notches but only find the 3 notches in my
brain.
I always start with edges, too. I do find it easier
to begin. My son didn't like doing it that way the
first puzzle, but did on the second and others we
tried. Made him feel he'd accomplished "something".
It's not a "rule".
Yahoo! DSL Something to write home about.
Just $16.99/mo. or less.
dsl.yahoo.com
dd 14) did a puzzle very differently. I, too, see an
image of the "shape" needed to match any gap. My son
sees colors. My daughter is just intense...not
wanting to leave the puzzle till its done. I can
start off thinking I'm looking for a slightly pink
piece with 3 notches but only find the 3 notches in my
brain.
I always start with edges, too. I do find it easier
to begin. My son didn't like doing it that way the
first puzzle, but did on the second and others we
tried. Made him feel he'd accomplished "something".
It's not a "rule".
>__________________________________________
> I try to find edges first, but that's what's easiest
> for me. My son sees puzzle pieces COMPLETELY
> differently! He'll walk by and see two pieces on
> opposite sides of the table and snap them together.
> He
> sees the whole picture and has been able to do that
> since he was a toddler. I see it in edges and
> colors.
> Cameron actually sees the puzzle pieces and how they
> fit together---even when one is upside-down! He just
>
> has a different way of looking at it.
>
> We work together: I put the edges together and can
> figure out colors, but he can just throw 1-2 pieces
> that just fit. We hang on to those until they fit in
> the bigger picture.
>
> I never thought he was doing it WRONG though! He
> just sees it differently. I can't imagine making him
> do
> it my way any more than I could imagine doing it his
> way---IT WON'T WORK! <G>
>
> ~KellyKelly LovejoyConference CoordinatorLive and
> Learn Unschooling
> Conferencehttp://liveandlearnconference.org
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>
Yahoo! DSL Something to write home about.
Just $16.99/mo. or less.
dsl.yahoo.com
multimomma
I agree with what you're saying. However, our problem was with children who weren't really
interested in sitting down and putting a puzzle together, but rather exploring the pieces for
less than a second and then tossing them aside (usually under the table to be lost forever)
Sandra had some good points and good suggestions for our toddlers. And what we did was
set up our folding table for puzzling, and have our big puzzle on it. It's right next to our
dining table. So everyone is welcome to work at the 1000 piece table, but they can do easier
puzzles at the dining table if they want. At one end of our table is a 40 piece space puzzle,
and then at the other table are some wood cut-outs, some 20 clifford puzzles, and some
extra toys. :-) It's working out wonderfully. Sometimes it just takes someone else saying what
should be obvious. My husband and I just kind of laughed and did the Homer. (Doh!)
Melissa
interested in sitting down and putting a puzzle together, but rather exploring the pieces for
less than a second and then tossing them aside (usually under the table to be lost forever)
Sandra had some good points and good suggestions for our toddlers. And what we did was
set up our folding table for puzzling, and have our big puzzle on it. It's right next to our
dining table. So everyone is welcome to work at the 1000 piece table, but they can do easier
puzzles at the dining table if they want. At one end of our table is a 40 piece space puzzle,
and then at the other table are some wood cut-outs, some 20 clifford puzzles, and some
extra toys. :-) It's working out wonderfully. Sometimes it just takes someone else saying what
should be obvious. My husband and I just kind of laughed and did the Homer. (Doh!)
Melissa
--- In [email protected], kbcdlovejo@a... wrote:
> Sounds as if you have a lot of "shoulds," "have tos," "needs to," and "musts!" <bwg>> I
never thought he was doing it WRONG though! He just sees it differently. I can't imagine
making him do
> it my way any more than I could imagine doing it his way---IT WON'T WORK! <G>
Sandra Dodd
On Jan 7, 2006, at 6:27 PM, multimomma wrote:
to take out puzzles.
There are some puzzles with big pieces on one end, medium-sized in
the middle, and small ones on the other end. Genius. I wish it had
been my idea. <g>
Maybe also consider thrift-store puzzles, and throwing them away
later, so it doesn't matter if pieces are lost.
Sandra
> -=-However, our problem was with children who weren't reallyIf you have children that young, it's probably just not a good season
> interested in sitting down and putting a puzzle together, but
> rather exploring the pieces for
> less than a second and then tossing them aside (usually under the
> table to be lost forever-=-
to take out puzzles.
There are some puzzles with big pieces on one end, medium-sized in
the middle, and small ones on the other end. Genius. I wish it had
been my idea. <g>
Maybe also consider thrift-store puzzles, and throwing them away
later, so it doesn't matter if pieces are lost.
Sandra
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...>
There are some puzzles with big pieces on one end, medium-sized in
the middle, and small ones on the other end. Genius. I wish it had
been my idea. <g>
-=-=-
There are also puzzles all one color---like WHITE! <g> And puzzles with NO borders/edges! Yikes!
~KellyKelly LovejoyConference CoordinatorLive and Learn Unschooling Conferencehttp://liveandlearnconference.org
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
From: Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...>
There are some puzzles with big pieces on one end, medium-sized in
the middle, and small ones on the other end. Genius. I wish it had
been my idea. <g>
-=-=-
There are also puzzles all one color---like WHITE! <g> And puzzles with NO borders/edges! Yikes!
~KellyKelly LovejoyConference CoordinatorLive and Learn Unschooling Conferencehttp://liveandlearnconference.org
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Nancy Wooton
On Jan 7, 2006, at 5:41 PM, kbcdlovejo@... wrote:
picture of elephants (I think I bought it at a homeschooling conference
:-) I should put that together again... might be good for my lagging
brain cells!
Nancy
> There are some puzzles with big pieces on one end, medium-sized inWe have one in which all the pieces are the same shape, forming a
> the middle, and small ones on the other end. Genius. I wish it had
> been my idea. <g>
>
> -=-=-
>
> There are also puzzles all one color---like WHITE! <g> And puzzles
> with NO borders/edges! Yikes!
picture of elephants (I think I bought it at a homeschooling conference
:-) I should put that together again... might be good for my lagging
brain cells!
Nancy