Figure 2: Isaiah’ s Second Attempt with the Cone-Shaped Puzzle
Block Placement Isaiah’ s Actions Interpretation
Action 1
Isaiah inserts the small angle of a blue rhombus into the same-sized angle inside the puzzle.
Isaiah’ s immediate choice of the blue rhombus indicates his construction of a mental relationship between the size of that shape’ s angle and the angle in the puzzle.
Action 10
After minimal experimentation, he rotates a blue rhombus and inserts the larger angle of it into the coordinating angle at the top of the puzzle. In doing so, he creates a smaller angle into which he inserts the small angle of another blue rhombus.
Isaiah has taken note of the size difference between the larger and smaller angles.
Action 13
Isaiah inserts another blue rhombus.
This action again confirms that Isaiah has constructed a mental relationship between the smaller and larger angles.
Action 14
Isaiah picks up a yellow hexagon and momentarily places it on top of his blue hexagon.
Isaiah has made a mental relationship between the three blue rhombuses and the hexagon.
Action 20
By this time, Isaiah has inserted two tan rhombuses on either side of the blue hexagon, where he had created two very small angles. He then inserts a square block into the space with two right angles, and then a triangle into the empty triangular space.
By completing this puzzle, Isaiah shows that he has constructed a network of mental relationships that includes the larger and smaller angles and the mid-sized angle of the square.
82 Young Children
Summer 2025