Spatial orientation, manipulation, and visualization are important skills that are not traditionally taught in academic settings. However, strengths in these areas lend themselves well to navigation, visual arts, geometry, and engineering. At Academics Plus, we teach geography and spatial thinking with songs and games to encode these lessons efficiently and effectively into memory. When children are engaged in fun and memorable activities, the content sticks with them.
One way you can practice visuospatial thinking with your child is to place a world map on the wall. Children will be more engaged if they create their own maps with arts and crafts supplies. You can ask your child relational questions or give prompts such as, "Which is bigger: Egypt or Connecticut?" or "Name a continent in the Southern Hemisphere." You can also incorporate history and earth science by saying, "Point to an arctic tundra" or "Show me a country that was involved in World War I." Context knowledge can also be tested such as, "Which city has more people: Tokyo or Oslo?"
Take the activity to the next level is by researching your local or ethnic history. When kids learn stories, it helps them stay engaged and hold onto information. What conflicts or economic developments occurred near your home? You can even add spatial awareness to family game night with chess, Battleship, Parcheesi, and other visual strategy games.
At Academics Plus, we assess and work to strengthen visuospatial thinking so that kids feel confident inside and outside the classroom, orienting themselves, exploring their creativity, and producing 3D structures.
Written by Lauren Ribner