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Kindergartners' General Knowledge About Maps and Their Function

Sat, April 29, 2:45 to 4:15pm, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Floor: Street Level, Stars at Night Ballroom 4

Abstract

Environment Spatial Ability (ESA) is a core ability in the domain of spatial thinking, mostly ignored as an instructional target in K-12 curricula. Maps knowledge, especially in young children, has been relatively unexplored and research show contradicting and inconsistent evidence. However, because spatial skills are malleable, trainable, and transferable it is worthwhile to develop them in K-12. The present study examines kindergarteners’ general knowledge about maps, their function and their components. Tasks were designed to overcome the children difficulties in verbalizing spatial information and conversations regarding task-related performance were held. Findings revealed initial naïve map-related knowledge, constructed based on the children’s everyday spatial experiences. Findings regarding the children’s knowledge enable the development of a kindergarten curriculum for promoting ESA.

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