CoP 3 - Initial Idea 3

This idea moves on from using random objects and things from daily life, to focusing on children's development and taking objects from each of those stages. 

Although this design has more reasoning and ideas behind it, feedback came back that children wouldn't necessarily relate or engage with these images as they aren't as fun and are too related to other areas of learning. 

Seven-year-old

Motor development

• Well-developed 
• Good sense of balance
• Capable of basic gymnastics moves such as somersaults
• Able to ride a balance bicycle

Writing grips

• The dynamic tripod grip is the final stage of holding writing implements

English language

• Vocabulary now numbers at least a few thousand words
• Capable of telling time
• Begins to understand how words form sounds

Social and emotional

• Highly self-critical and eager to please
• Can understand right and wrong
• Increased ability at problem solving and reasoning
• Can feel shame and guilt
• Complains a lot and has strong emotional swings
• Occasionally has meltdowns over minor frustrations, mainly for attention
• Ability to deal with mistakes and failure improves
• Beginning of sexual attraction to/interest in peers
• Explore genitalia with other children their age. This occurrence typically begins with children "playing doctor" or who say "show me yours and I'll show mine." The event is the child showing interest in "naughty parts" which is perceived as forbidden
• Reluctant to undress in front of others and wish to have more privacy from parents

CoP 3 - Colour Research

Red

• Red has the ability to energise the body and excite the mind
•  Too much exposure to red encourages aggressive behaviour and an inability to focus. 
• Might not be the best room colour for an already restless child. 
• Red is the colour of passion and strong feelings of threat, love, or excess stimulus. 
• Can be used in combination with other colours as it can help in detail oriented or repetitive tasks.

Orange

• Warm, friendly and youthful colour.
• It can encourage confidence, extroversion and independence. 
• Inspires communication and cooperation.
• It enhances critical thinking and memory. 
• Can enhance performance in exams.
• Good for cooperative learning
• Good for logical learning. 

Yellow

•  Motivation
• Can aid concentration.
• Increases memory. 
• In large doses it may create feelings of agitation and even anger.
• Stimulates intelligence.
• Can make children feel stressed. 

Green

• Has a soothing impact on a child. 
• May improve a child's reading speed and comprehension. 
• Anxiety reducing.
• Can create better health in children.
• Good for logical learners.

 Blue

• Blue decreases feelings of anxiety and aggression 
• Lowers blood pressure and heart rates. 
• Good for children who experience tantrums or other behavioural problems.
• Blue enhances creativity and stimulates a cool and relaxing environment. 

Purple

• Ambitious and self-assured.
• Passion, creativity, wisdom and spirituality. 
• Inspiring sensitivity and compassion in children.

Pink 

• It has a calming feel that can translate to both sexes. 
• Can lower heart rate.

CoP 3 - Development - Initial Ideas 3

• A more tactile approach, children can make their own sums with the addition and subtraction symbols, making multiple different sums.
• Similar to the other ideas, using the ideas of constructivism from the illustrations incorporating objects that children can relate to. These images specifically relate to different areas of development within children, by doing a range of activities which all use different parts of the brain and help develop different skills. 
• The square shape of the cards make them stand out and different to other card games, making this one unique. 
• The colours used are based on primary and tertiary colours, again playing on the idea of constructing on existing knowledge. 
• Inspired by the Story cubes but made into a maths context rather than literacy. 

CoP 3 - Practical Crit 1

Look at the name, is this suitable for children.

The icons, maybe expand the range of symbols apply the idea to other objects related to children and their environment. 

Colours work well

Explain and thoroughly show that constructivism is embedded within it. 

CoP 3 - Development - Initial Idea 2

• Exploring teaching fractions, percentages and decimals using images and well known objects of the likes of sweets, which children can then put into context. 

CoP 3 - Development - Initial Idea 2

• Experimentation with the idea of creating a child friendly set of playing cards, using images and illustrations of objects which they relate to and that will engage them more than the usual symbols. 
• Exploring the use of numbers, seeing if this adds to the design, although from feedback it was said that the cards work well without numbers as well and this also means that children are engaged more and counting for themselves, using the negative space and items on the cards. 

• Further developments, exploring the use of purely images and negative space, seeing if the cards could be used and interacted with without the use of numbers. The card are looking to be used for number bond snap, going up to the value of 10. Experimenting with objects such as sweets, rubber duck toys, which children can relate to and know and understand what they are. 

• Experiments with white backgrounds, giving the focus more to the objects and illustrations, the black lines seem too harsh, but the coloured outlines work well and bring a cohesive look to the cards. 

CoP 3 - Initial Idea 2

• Using illustrations of everyday objects, which uses Piaget's ideas of constructivism by using existing knowledge to build on new knowledge. Therefore children are able to count by using well known objects, which makes it more abstract and interesting than using purely numbers. 
• The idea of using playing cards also gives a more child friendly approach to the game, whilst they are also learning and engaged in different ways, but still not being condescending or patronising. 
• The ideas of using different objects on the same card was inspired by the game of dobble, however this could then be played using math and counting techniques instead which then relates existing games and knowledge to learning new things. 
• The use of negative space and bright colours means that the game and cards are much more visually stimulating and also children respond to symbols and images better rather than numbers and letters.