LEGO Education has detailed the launch of a new collection under its LEGO Education SPIKE banner, developed to encourage primary school children into STEAM learning, while supporting literacy, maths, and social-emotional development.
Called LEGO Education SPIKE Essential, the new launch joins the already established LEGO Education SPIKE Prime, LEGO Education SPIKE BricQ Motion Essential, and the LEGO Education BricQ Motion Prime in a series of products designed to promote academic practices through play.
The LEGO Learning System aims to meet every student where they are on their learning journey, helping students tackle abstract concepts more tangibly as they take on increasingly complex real world challenges.
Esben Stærk, president of LEGO Education, said: “With the launch of SPIKE Essential we are delighted to introduce a complete learning system that enriches the teaching and learning experience. At a time when everyone is rethinking learning, we believe the LEGO Learning System will spark joy and a love of learning in students that never stops.”
SPIKE Essential offers playful learning experiences in which students solve problems through storytelling. The cross-curricular STEAM solution includes familiar LEGO building elements, four new Minifigures with different characteristics and personalities that are relatable to students, and standards-aligned learning units using everyday themes.
The characters and stories not only engage students in STEAM learning, but aim to foster social-emotional skills. With 50 combined hours of educational content, SPIKE Essential combines age-appropriate icon- and word-based block coding with simple hardware – including an intelligent Hub, motors, a Light Matrix, and a Color Sensor – to bring STEAM concepts to life with the LEGO Education SPIKE App.
Each learning unit features a theme such as Great Adventures, Amazing Amusement Park, Happy Traveller, Crazy Carnival Games, and Quirky Creations. It features a learning sequence of seven to eight lessons, several guided practice lessons, and one open-ended project, as well as over 30 minutes of language arts and maths extensions for each lesson.
SPIKE Essential will be available for purchase in all markets starting this fall and is available today for pre-order in the U.S. at LEGOeducation.com/MeetSPIKEessential.