Figure puzzles are an important activity for children because the underlying visual perceptual skills needed are the same skills that are used when reading and writing as they get older. Visual perception is not the ability to see well but how what we see is processed and organised in the brain. At school, children use visual perception for reading, copying from the blackboard, organising maths, handwriting and most other aspects of school. Visual perception is closely related to language and cognitive development.
Completing a figure puzzle uses skills such as the following:
- Planning and Problem Solving – Planning a strategy to complete the puzzle; trying an alternate way if the first attempt is not successful; puzzles help to work through techniques such as trial and error in a fun way; helps to develop task persistence and increased visual attention.
- Visual Discrimination – Identifying the edge, corner and centre pieces and scanning for information on the pieces to complete the puzzle.
- Figure Ground – Finding the required pieces amongst a lot of other pieces on the table top.
- Position in Space – Orienting and rotating pieces in space to ‘fit’ together.
- Spatial Relations – Orienting the pieces in relations to each other.
- Visual Closure – Extrapolating information; finding pieces to complete the ‘whole’ picture.
- Form Constancy – Recognising objects despite a change in a feature, for example, the picture size from the box lid to the actual size.
Dot Situation
The problems on dot situation involve the search of similar conditions in the alternative figures as indicated in the problem figure. The problem figure contains dots placed in the spaces enclosed between the combinations of square, triangle, rectangle and circle. Selecting one of these dots we observe the region in which this dot in enclosed i.e. to which of the four figures (circle, square, rectangle and triangle) is this region common. Then we look for such a region in the four alternatives. Once we have found it. We repeat the procedure for other dots, if any. The alternative figure which contains all such regions is the answer.
Note
From early childhood right through to adulthood we love to h puzzles. We like the way they challenge our thinking and exercise our minds.
Puzzles are also an important educational learning tool for toddlers and young children as they provide many skills and mental learning benefits and opportunities. Puzzles come in a whole range of themes and topics such as alphabet letters, shapes, vegetables, numbers, pets, transport and colours. It increases their visual spacial awareness and develops a deeper understanding of these themes and topics. Overcoming the challenges involved in solving a puzzle really gives them a sense of achievement and pride within themselves. It provides a boost to their self-confidence and self-esteem as this prepares them for other challenges in life.
Direction (1 to 2): In each of the following questions there is a diagram marked (X), with one or more dost placed in it. The diagram is followed by four other figures, marked (a), (b), (c) and (d) only one of which is such as to make possible the placement of the alternative in each case.
Solution: (a) In figure (X), one of the dots is placed in the region common to the circle and the triangle and the other dot is placed in the region common to the triangle and the square.
From amongst the figures (a), (b), (c) and (d), only figure (a) has both the regions, one common to circle and triangle and the other common to triangle and square.
Embedded Figure: A figure is said to be embedded in a figure Y, if figure Y contains figure (X) as its part. thus problem on embedded figures contain a figure followed by four complex figures in such a way that figure is embedded in one of these. The figure containing the figure is your answer.
Direction (3 to 4): In each of the following questions, choose the alternative figure in which the question figure is embedded.
Figure Completion
In such problems a figure following a particular sequence or pattern is given. In which a part usually one-fourth is left blank.
This problem figure is followed by four alternative figures. One is required to choose the one which best fit into the blank space of problem figure so as to complete the original pattern.
Directions (5 to 6): Select a figure from the four alternatives, which when placed in the blank space of figure would complete the pattern.
