The 2-stud Bricks

Two is just right!

1 is not enough, 3 is too many. Sort the bricks and keep only the ones with exactly 2 studs.

Goals

To explore the bricks tactually.
To count the number of studs on each.

The adult prepares

1 baseplate
6 bricks with only 2 studs (e.g. B, C, E, I, K)
6 other bricks (with 1, 3, 4, 5 or 6 studs)
1 bowl
1 bag

Hide the 12 bricks in the bag.

The children play

The child takes a brick from the bag. If it’s a 2-stud brick, they put it on the baseplate.

If it isn’t they put it in the bowl.

Take one brick.
Okay.
How many dots do you feel? Dots?
How many dots do you have here?
How many?
Only one dot .
On this brick, how many dots do you feel?
Two! Two, great!
How many dots do you see? Three. Perfect.
So we will play a game.
You can only give me the brick with two dots.
I want the bricks with two dots.
Can you give them to me?
How many dots on here?
How many?
Okay. How many is it? Two.
Look, has it two dots?
No, so I don’t want it.
It’s not because you are blind or born blind or you became blind,
that you are good at touching things.
You need to develop that sense.
And you need to really have strategies.
So first to search and then to feel
and to differentiate the dots on top of the bricks.
So we play activities where she has to look
for the studs, for the dots and then count them.
Can you give me the brick with two dots.
Yeah. Yes.
How many do you feel? One.
Two. Give me the one with two.
So sometimes you can do the activity with the bricks loose in a bowl.
Or sometimes
it’s better
if they are attached on the baseplate,
because then they are stuck on the base
plate, and you can move your finger on it to look for them.
Oh, yes. Oh, yeah. Oh, okay.

Facilitation tips

Make sure the child uses both hands during the activity: they need to practice two-hand movements, as good bilateral coordination is essential for braille reading.
Encourage ‘light’ tactile exploration of the bricks. You can say: “If you touch the studs lightly, you’ll be able to feel them much better than if you press hard.”
Peer play: the children take turns to search the bag for a brick with a specific number of studs. If they find one, they attach it to the baseplate.