Spatial Reasoning IRL
In Real Life
What do reading a map, building a block tower and loading the dishwasher have in common? They are all activities that strengthen spatial reasoning, a skill set that is vital to children’s success in math and science.
Research indicates that spatial reasoning skills correlate to children’s early achievement in math and “strongly predict” who will pursue STEM careers later in life.
According to Temple University’s Dr. Nora Newcombe, spatial thinking is what allows us to mentally “picture the locations of objects, their shapes, their relations to each other and the paths they take as they move.” In daily life, we use spatial reasoning to read maps, find our way home from the store, interpret diagrams and charts and understand how objects relate to each other — a skill needed for everything from hitting a tennis ball to building a LEGO structure.
And it turns out that early exposure to spatial skills makes a big difference. As Newcombe said, “There is growing evidence that strong spatial reasoning skills in preschool help support math learning in elementary school.”
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