Connecting Schema

A connection schema is all about connecting things together. It does not necessarily need to link or interconnect either like a train track. Children following a connection schema may pat you on the hand or place a hand on your arm. These children just love to connect!

A child with a connection schema may:

• tie your chair legs (or even your legs) together!
• Love joining the carriages of trains together or train tracks - and then take them apart again.
• Enjoy a variety of construction toys.
• Like opening and closing doors.
• Enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles.


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A child following a connection schema enjoys a self-initiated game being connected together with friends







So, tell me about envelopment and enclosure.

Enclosure is all about 'insideness'. For example children may like to wrap things, cover things, fill empty space or enclose something or themselves.

This girl builds with blocks and encloses herself.

A child may begin to show evidence of having an enclosure schema from an early age. They may put toys inside the washing machine or small stones inside their pockets. As a parent this can be rather frustrating!



This girl uses a scarf and a necklace to enclose
her neck. Some children wear lots of bangles to enclose their arm.

Children who are following a enclosure schema are developing their understanding of capacity and volume. These concepts are important in the development of mathematical and scientific knowledge.

Envelopment Schema

A child who is fascinated with wrapping themselves up in materials and likes to cover their hands and body with paint are following an envelopment schema. These children enjoy exploring 'under' and 'insideness'. They like to fill bags, wrap up parcels, dress up, bury things - including their hands and feet - play inside tents and tunnels.

Once they have painted a picture they are more likely to cover it over completely or fold it up into a tiny piece then put it in their pocket.

Exploring an enveloping schema can help children to develop an understanding of space and size, volume and capacity. During their play envelopers develop ideas about estimating size and predicting - 'what fits inside this?' and 'How much paper will I need to wrap this box?'

This four year old decides to paint the window. It is completely covered with red paint.

Another child decided to paint the inside of a bowl. He then placed a box inside the painted bowl before painting the inside of the box.

What is a rotation schema?

Some children are fascinated by things that are circular or that spin and rotate. For example they are fixated on the washing machine when it spins fast or tumbles round. They like playing with water wheels, spinning tops, hoops and balls and rather than ride their bike they like to tip it upside down and spin the wheels.

Rotation is all about things that go round or have a round shape. This boy is rolling a tyre and will occasionally stop to rock the tyre to and fro in order to feel the roundness of the tyre.

Achild fascinated with rotation will:

• like spinning round
• love anything with wheels that turn
• enjoy ring games and rotation dances

Children following a rotation schema may be interested in the movement aspect; 'When this goes round, this happens'. This is also an important schema in terms of the development of children's writing, as, in English,  many lower case letters involve an element of rotation. These children also enjoy repetitive stories and rhymes.

Trajectory Schema

What is a trajectory schema?

Trajectory is all about straight lines up and down or across.

Trajectory schema may have elements of vertical, horizontal and grid movements. 

A child that has a trajectory schema is interested in things, and themselves moving in straight lines;  up and down or across. It is a very common schema and one that young babies will often display;  explaining why they love to drop things from their highchairs.

This two year old builds a trajectory line with blocks

A child with a trajectory schema may

• Always seem to be running around.
• Likes throwing things.
• Likes to play with running water.
• Likes pushing or building things in a straight line.

Main behaviours associated with trajectory schema include:

• Spending a long time in the bathroom playing with running water
• Climbing onto and jumping off equipment  

Children placing cartons and crates in straight lines

• Drawing or painting lines
• Making lines of cars, bricks, animals etc
• Making trails
• Bouncing balls
• Pouring water from jugs
• Hose pipes and sprays
• Dribble runny paint

This two year old child has positioned animals in a straight line