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arXiv · 2504.11138

BrickSmart: Leveraging Generative AI to Support Children's Spatial Language Learning in Family Block Play

Yujia Liu·Siyu Zha·Yuewen Zhang·Yanjin Wang·Yangming Zhang·Qi Xin·Lunyiu Nie·Chao Zhang·Yingqing Xu
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Abstract

Block-building activities are crucial for developing children's spatial reasoning and mathematical skills, yet parents often lack the expertise to guide these activities effectively. BrickSmart, a pioneering system, addresses this gap by providing spatial language guidance through a structured three-step process: Discovery & Design, Build & Learn, and Explore & Expand. This system uniquely supports parents in 1) generating personalized block-building instructions, 2) guiding parents to teach spatial language during building and interactive play, and 3) tracking children's learning progress, altogether enhancing children's engagement and cognitive development. In a comparative study involving 12 parent-child pairs children aged 6-8 years) for both experimental and control groups, BrickSmart demonstrated improvements in supportiveness, efficiency, and innovation, with a significant increase in children's use of spatial vocabularies during block play, thereby offering an effective framework for fostering spatial language skills in children.

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Yujia Liu, Siyu Zha, Yuewen Zhang, Yanjin Wang, Yangming Zhang, Qi Xin, Lunyiu Nie, Chao Zhang, Yingqing Xu. 2025-04-15. BrickSmart: Leveraging Generative AI to Support Children's Spatial Language Learning in Family Block Play. https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3714212

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