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STEM Learning Is among the Most Important in Early Childhood—Here’s Why

  • Writer: Your Friends at Superspace
    Your Friends at Superspace
  • Jul 11
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jul 23


STEM learning before kindergarten? Absolutely. That yes moment—when a child realizes they can build gravity-defying towers, ask “why does this balance?” or track which block shape rolls the fastest—isn't science fiction. It’s the beginning of the scientific, engineering, mathematical, and creative thinking that fuels future thinkers.


Let’s be direct: early STEM isn't just a “nice add”—it’s central. When children tinker, test, and talk through building “serious play,” they’re laying the groundwork for problem-solving, persistence, language, and logical thinking.


A young child intently constructs with large magnetic tiles on a wooden floor, exploring creativity and spatial skills.
A young child intently constructs with large magnetic tiles on a wooden floor, exploring creativity and spatial skills.

1. STEM Starts with Play


A 2012 study by Clements and Sarama tracked preschool-aged children using hands-on math and science kits (blocks, counting tools, simple machines). They found that kids in those environments were nearly twice as likely to show early math reasoning and spatial awareness than those in standard literacy-focused classrooms. That means manipulatives—like big magnetic tiles—aren’t toys. They’re cognitive tools. (It wasn’t about worksheets. It was about stacking, counting, adjusting—tactile trial and error that builds real thinking.)



2. Magnetic Tiles Spark Spatial Thinking


We’re talking big-picture skills that matter later in life: geometry, scale, engineering intuition. A 2014 study led by Verdine and her team observed preschoolers using magnetic tiles to build 3D structures and found increased proficiency in spatial vocabulary and volume estimation compared to control groups using smaller or flat tools. Just one hour of open-ended tile play showed measurable gains. That’s powerful stuff. It means tactile learning isn’t peripheral; it’s pedagogically essential.


3. Collaboration & Communication Through Building

We don’t learn STEM in isolation. A 2018 study by Neumann and Neumann showed that children engaged in large-scale, collaborative building—especially with magnetic tiles—demonstrated more advanced reasoning, negotiation, and collective problem-solving. They didn’t only build towers—they built plans, dialogues, and teamwork skills.

STEM isn’t solo work. It’s social, structural, and reflective. The bigger the tiles, the more space for group interaction—and collective exploration.


Children collaborate creatively, constructing with Superspace panels.
Children collaborate creatively, constructing with Superspace panels.

Why Large Tactile Magnetic Tiles Scale Learning


Here’s where it comes together: large, tactile magnetic tiles offer scale, flexibility, and purpose. They aren’t fragile. They aren’t small. They physically invite multiple kids to work side by side—or even two, three, four, building together in physical space.


They support:

  • Spatial reasoning through visible volumes, arches, angles, and balance

  • Science inquiry when kids test gravity, light, and stability

  • Math fluency as they count, compare, and scale structures

  • Social negotiation as they co-plan, co-build, and co-reflect


When we give kids larger-than-life shapes and structures, we give them larger-than-life thinking opportunities.


A Classroom Story: Bigger Means Better

In a recent trial at Happy Trails Preschool, teachers introduced large panel kits into their STEAM corner. Within two weeks, teachers began reporting:


  • Longer periods of focused build (>20 minutes)

  • More student-led iteration—“Let’s try taller next time”

  • Richer cross-group communication—“Can you help me steady this?”


Two students even made “blueprint sketches” before building, citing stability goals. That spontaneous planning? That’s STEM thinking in action.


Make It Work in Your Room

You don’t need a huge budget. You just need well-designed, durable tools. Large magnetic panels offer:


  • Ease of use —simple to reconfigure

  • Durability—can withstand rough play

  • Portability—modular enough to move on a dime

  • Curriculum alignment—supports math, science, engineering, social skills


Extra bonus? They’re “screen-free” but deeply potent.“STEM meets imagination — no screen required.”


The Takeaway


Early STEM isn’t extra credit or lunch-table talk. It’s a fundamental learning channel. Hands-on, tactile, collaborative, purposeful—and yes, playful.


Large tactile magnetic tiles don’t just entertain—they teach structure, scale, agency, and wonder. They connect the dots across disciplines and across children.


So let’s intentionally make space for them in early learning. Because when we do STEM with scale and thought—and let kids physically explore big questions—we don’t just prepare them for school. We prepare them for thinking.


Explore More


Download our lesson guides and build prompts—designed for large tactile tile sets—at Superspace4Educators.com → Lesson Plans & Resources



References


Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2012). Early childhood mathematics interventions. Science, 333(6045), 972–974. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1204524


Verdine, B. N., Golinkoff, R. M., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Newcombe, N. S. (2014). Finding the missing piece: Blocks, puzzles, and shapes fuel school readiness. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 3(1), 7–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2013.10.001


Neumann, M. M., & Neumann, D. L. (2018). The use of touch-screen tablets at home and school: Effects on emergent literacy. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44(5), 349–358.


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