Symbolic representation at two ages: Block buildings of a story∗

The purpose of this study was to describe age and sex differences in children's symbolic representation with building blocks of a story. Children aged 4 and 7 were read a story, then were asked to use a set of table‐top building blocks to show the story. Older children showed a greater number of features from the story in their block representations. Larger proportions of the older children's block constructions reflected the story, while younger children's reflected more seemingly nonrelated referents. Older children's block constructions were more recognizable configurations; they looked to adults like what the child claimed them to be. Younger boys' representations were more recognizable than younger girls'. Some findings are similar to results of children's language representations of a story, but their work with blocks provides different insights into their understanding and structuring of the story.