ABSTRACT
Children should experience a whole design process from first ideas to evaluation of a finished product. This process is often depicted as a cycle rather than a linear route, in order to emphasise the importance of continually evaluating and refining the product design. This is known as the Design Cycle. Research can take several forms. For young children, taking apart mechanisms from toys can help to give them an understanding about the means by which the toys can be made to move. A collection of moving toys and common mechanical items which the children can unscrew and take to pieces will be a popular addition to any classroom. Children can use research to give them ideas about style, decoration and size. This research will also teach the children about the inflated costs of products. In addition, some D&T lessons may be entirely concerned with learning and practising various techniques such as sewing or sawing.
