Discrimination of 2-D Letters by Children after Play with 2- or 3-Dimensional Letter Forms

Abstract

Play experience with three-dimensional (3-D) letters appeared to increase printed letter discriminations of 3- and 4-yr.-olds as effectively as play with two-dimensional (2-D) printed letters. In a second experiment 2-D and 3-D tasks were alternated. Consistently fewer discrimination errors were made on the 3-D task. Three-dimensional task experience apparently reduced errors on the subsequent 2-D task; 2-D task experience did not serve to reduce errors on the subsequent 3-D task. These findings are congruent with others that indicate young children discriminate 3-D forms more accurately than 2-D and that haptic experience may contribute to greater accuracy of visual discrimination of both 2-D and 3-D forms.