Our World Puzzle Set

Explore

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players may explore if encouraged. See Implications for Learning and Adult Support.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To help children in building the puzzle, parents can encourage children to look closely at the piece they are trying to place. Children usually focus on the shape, the color, or the content on the piece. Determine what they are focusing on, and help them think about the other aspects as well. For instance, "Yes, that piece does have a straight side, but you are looking for a piece that has a rough edge, too." Also, parents can ask questions such as "Tell me what the flag looks like for our state" in order to prompt children to look at all the information on the puzzles closely.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
To help children in building the puzzle, parents can encourage children to look closely at the piece they are trying to place. Children usually focus on the shape, the color, or the content on the piece. Determine what they are focusing on, and help them think about the other aspects as well. For instance, "Yes, that piece does have a straight side, but you are looking for a piece that has a rough edge, too." Also, parents can ask questions such as "Tell me what the flag looks like for our state" in order to prompt children to look at all the information on the puzzles closely.

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players must determine the characteristics of puzzle pieces based on shape, size, and sometimes color. They also need to determine what locations on the puzzle could accommodate the puzzle piece.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To help the youngest children, allow them to look at the images of the puzzles on the packaging so they can see how a puzzle looks when completed.For the U.S. puzzle, parents can also help children find the capital of the state by looking under the pieces and reading the capital aloud to the children.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
To help the youngest children, allow them to look at the images of the puzzles on the packaging so they can see how a puzzle looks when completed.For the U.S. puzzle, educators can introduce children to the concepts of states, capitals and flags. Also, use directional language like above or below to help children look for location to place a puzzle piece.

Compare

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players will compare shape of puzzle pieces with the spaces open on the puzzle board.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Comparing shapes is important for young children to begin understanding geometry and spatial relations. Encourage children to rotate the pieces to help them make more accurate comparisons.Parents can add descriptive language like larger, smaller, straight, rough, blue and green to help build vocabulary.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Comparing shapes is important for young children to begin understanding geometry and spatial relations. Encourage children to rotate the pieces to help them make more accurate comparisons.Educators can add descriptive language like larger, smaller, straight, rough, blue and green to help build vocabulary.

Remember

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?


How Parents Can Assist Learning
Although not required, parents can encourage children to remember states, cities, or countries they have visited, read about, or know someone who lives there. Making a connection with previous information stimulates memory.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can encourage children to remember states, cities, or countries they have visited, read about, or know someone who lives there. Making a connection with previous information stimulates memory.

Predict

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Once a piece is selected, children make a prediction about where it will fit.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can help children by selecting pieces that have a recognizable shape (e.g., such as Texas) and have them place those first. Children may get frustrated if they start with an interior state (such as Colorado) that does not have a distinctive shape.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can help children by selecting pieces that have a recognizable shape (e.g., such as Texas) and have them place those first. Place exterior states in one area and interior states in another. Children may get frustrated if they start with an interior state (such as Colorado) that does not have a distinctive shape. After children complete the U.S. puzzle several times, all pieces can be grouped together.

Experiment

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
If a piece does not fit on the first attempt, a player may experiment with changing its orientation or location in order to find the right spot to place it.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If a child has the correct piece but cannot get it to fit, show them how to change the orientation (e.g.: by turning 180 degrees) so that it will fit into the puzzle. The parent can cue the child by just saying, "Try another way."

Learning Implications and Educator Support
If a child has the correct piece but cannot get it to fit, show them how to change the orientation (e.g.: by turning 180 degrees) so that it will fit into the puzzle. The educator can cue the child by just saying, "Try another way."

Practice

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
The more players engage with the puzzles, they will improve fine motor and comparison skills. This will allow them to more quickly assemble the puzzles.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To help children begin to understand the content of the puzzles, try to relate the content to people or experiences that are directly related to the child. For example, point to the earth and say, "This is the earth, the planet we live on." Or, point to the state you live in and describe some of the facts about it.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
To help children begin to understand the content of the puzzles, try to relate the content to people or experiences that are directly related to the child. For example, point to the earth and say, "This is the earth, the planet we live on." Or, point to the state you live in and describe some of the facts about it.

Solve

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players solve the puzzle by putting all the pieces in the proper location.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To help younger children, allow them to look at the packaging so they can see if they placed the piece in the correct location. Give prompts or suggestions, such as, "Look at the pattern on the board underneath the continents."

Learning Implications and Educator Support
To help younger children, allow them to look at the packaging so they can see if they placed the piece in the correct location. Give prompts or suggestions, such as, "Look at the pattern on the board underneath the continents."

Review

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?


How Parents Can Assist Learning
Although not required, parents can ask children about how they figured out where the different pieces went. Verbalizing their strategy helps children think about what they did and why.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Although not required, educators can ask children about how they figured out where the different pieces went. Verbalizing their strategy helps children think about what they did and why. Educators can then determine if they can provide additional strategies for children to try.

Imagine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Children may use imagination if encouraged. See Implications for Learning and Adult Support.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To stimulate their imaginations, ask children to imagine what the other planets, continents or states might be like; what would it be like to live in those different locations; or where would they like to go some day. Provide a few facts for the children to give them a mental picture of the place; or, look up the planets online with them.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
To stimulate their imaginations, ask children to imagine what the other planets, continents or states might be like; what would it be like to live in those different locations; or where would they like to go some day. Provide a few facts for the children to give them a mental picture of the place; or, look up the planets online with them.

Create

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Children may be creative if encouraged. See Implications for Learning and Adult Support.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Make up stories with children that involve different locations. You might use some real experiences, like a trip you took to a different state, to get the story started; or create entirely fanciful stories based on outer space explorations throughout our solar system.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Make up stories with children that involve different locations. You might use some real experiences, like a trip you took to a different state, to get the story started; or create entirely fanciful stories based on outer space explorations throughout our solar system.

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Have children with cognitive delays do the planet puzzle first. If they are successful with this puzzle, move to the continents. Use a black marker to outline the puzzle piece shapes on the underlying wooden board. This will make it easier for children with cognitive delays to match the shapes without being distracted by the other markings. Finally, the U.S. puzzle can be tackled. This order is based on the complexity of the puzzles, not the conceptual understanding needed. Children with cognitive delays may not be able to understand the concepts of these three puzzles, but can work on the matching, spatial orientation, and persistence to complete them.

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Take turns placing a puzzle piece. After placing a piece, children explain why they picked the piece and how they knew where to put it. This variation of completing a puzzle enhances both language production and language comprehension. Children have to both produce and respond to language. The activity also encourages children to focus and pay attention through several sentences.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Simplify the harder puzzles. For the continents and states puzzles, give children just 1/3 (or fewer if needed) of the pieces and instruct them to start on the left side, or from top to bottom. This gives the child a constant edge to place pieces against as a support. They do not have to try to match pieces only to the underlying lines
An option for children with fine motor concerns is to remove just the pieces of one color. This makes the puzzle easier. The child should be able to match and drop in the state or puzzle piece (some have more than one state) needed.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
For children who are impulsive or easily frustrated, use the planet puzzle first, then the continents, then the states. This may build persistence if the child experiences success with each successive puzzle.
Give each of two children half off the puzzle pieces, with one child taking the 17 puzzle pieces on one-half of the puzzle, and the other child taking the 17 puzzle pieces on the other half of the puzzle. They then work independently, but quickly toward the middle to see who can finish first. They then switch puzzle pieces and try again.

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
An option for children with low vision is to remove half of the pieces of one color. This makes the puzzle opening more obvious. Children can feel the shape of the space and the shape of the missing puzzle pieces to find a match.
Color the base wood of the continent puzzle in the colors of the continent puzzle pieces. For example, color Africa in red. This will make it easier for children with low vision to find a match.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Children with hearing impairments should not have a problem with the puzzles.

*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Have children and adults generate questions about the states, starting with their own state and other states they know. Then look up those states online, in a atlas, almanac, encyclopedia, etc. Try to find the answers to the children's questions. Do the same for the continents and planets. Then when you put the puzzles together the next time, see who can remember the facts they learned.

Materials Needed
Resources for learning facts about the world.

Developmental Benefits
With the puzzles as a motivator, children will go beyond puzzle construction to learn information about the various aspects of their world and solar system. This also teaches children where they can find answers to their questions.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Download coloring pages for each of the Our World puzzle topics, such as a state, country or planet, for the child to color.

Materials Needed
Internet access, printer, paper, and crayons or markers.

Developmental Benefits
Children will remember the material in the puzzles more when they are exposed to different versions of the material. They will also practice their fine motor skills as they color the pictures. Encourage them to draw their own versions on plain paper as well.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Play the I See It game. Take turns with the child finding a state and naming something about the state, such as something on the flag, or the color or shape of the state. Give clues until the other player(s) identifies the right state. As a variation of I See It: Give directions for how to find a state. Each player in turn gives directions to the player to their left. For example, "The state that I See is below Iowa and above Arkansas." Or "The state that I See is to the right of Nevada."

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This variation enables children to attend to specific attributes of a puzzle piece to narrow down the choices to the right answer. Children must look carefully and analyze each piece. This variation build children's understanding of and use of directionality vocabulary. Children also need to think carefully to generate questions for others.