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Develop Spatial Skills in Everyday Activities

Tags

Mathematics ^21st Century Skills ^Extra-curricular/At-Home All Ages Strategy

Skills

Flexible Thinking Spatial Perception

Develop Spatial Skills in Everyday Activities

If your child has weaker spatial skills and you want to strengthen them without formal exercises

How To Apply It!

  1. Build it. Have your child help with the next household item that comes with instructions (e.g. furniture, household appliance or toy).
  2. Pack it. Have your child help with packing groceries or a suitcase. Older students can pack a trunk before a road trip. Your child can think about which way to rotate objects, how much room something needs and how much room to leave for other items.
  3. Map it. Have your child be your GPS using a paper map or digital GPS system. Start with a familiar route. Older students can navigate to an unfamiliar place.
  4. Fold it. Try origami. Students fold flat paper in precise ways to make 3D objects (e.g animals, flowers).
  5. Bake it. When cooking or baking, let your child estimate the amount of ingredients and then check against the measuring cups.

Why It Works (the Science Of Learning)!

Research shows the importance of spatial thinking in predicting achievement in STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, art and math) and other creative endeavors. Spatial thinking can be developed with practice, despite common beliefs that we are good or not with skills such as directions, maps, etc. Encouraging practice of spatial reasoning in daily activities might be the best way to give a boost to those students who might not feel comfortable with or naturally gravitate to these activities in an academic setting.