ThinkBlocks: A revolutionary new twist on sugar packets

When thoughts are inside our head, they risk being entangled with other thoughts, and it's hard to make sense of them and to think and communicate clearly. For centuries, teachers have used “tactile manipulatives” to represent ideas: marbles, Cheerios, flash cards, index cards, letter blocks, Post-it notes, or even sugar packets!

ThinkBlocks are like sugar packets and other tactile manipulatives but with a revolutionary new twist. Unlike marbles, Cheerios, Post-it notes, index cards, and sugar packets, ThinkBlocks incorporate four universal Patterns of Thinking into their unique design. The result is an easy-to-use tactile manipulative that facilitates better thinking about any subject by any age learner. Read more to find out five ways that ThinkBlocks are similar to and different from sugar packets!

#1 MAKE DISTINCTIONS

Similarity: You can use both to represent any idea in a tactile way and distinguish that idea from other ideas. Difference: Sugar packets are hard to write on, erase, and reuse.

#2 ORGANIZE SYSTEMS

Similarity: You can use both to model the parts of of a whole. Difference: It's hard to stuff one sugar packet inside of another, never mind 2 or more; whereas ThinkBlocks remind you about the part-whole structure of thinking.

#3 RECOGNIZE RELATIONSHIPS

Similarity: You can use both to think about relationships between and among ideas. Difference: Because sugar packets are not magnetic like ThinkBlocks are, they don't remind you to think about how one idea is connected to another.

#4 TAKE PERSPECTIVES

Similarity: You can use both to take different perspectives on any idea or thing. Difference: Sugar packets don't have a reflective side that reminds you of the importance of perspective. ThinkBlocks do.

#5 PATTERNS OF THINKING INSIDE

Similarity: Both are universal. Difference: Whereas sugar packets are universal to restaurant tables everywhere, the unique design of ThinkBlocks is based on four Patterns of Thinking that are universal to how all people build, change, and understand ideas, mental models, and even mindsets and worldviews.

Click here if you want to know how to get started with ThinkBlocks or here if you want to visit our store to purchase ThinkBlocks.