ERIC Number: ED660318
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Spatial Thinking across the Curriculum: Fruitfully Combining Research and Practice
Joni M. Lakin; Jon Wai; Paula Olszewski-Kubilius; Susan Corwith; Danielle Rothschild; David Uttal
Grantee Submission
Spatial thinking permeates much of our lives and is an asset when solving problems involving well-structured visual information or imagining solutions in physical or digital space. However, an estimated three million US school children have spatial talents that go unrecognized because of the tools commonly used for identification of academic talent. For decades, educational and psychological research has explored the range of spatial thinking skills that are demanded by many career fields, including science, engineering, and mathematics. Spatial thinking has been found to be particularly important to early mathematical thinking. In this article, we explore what spatial thinking entails, where it is important in the curriculum, and how we can begin to develop spatial literacy and identify spatial talents in our K-12 classrooms. [This paper was published in "Gifted Child Today" v47 n3 p170-177 2024.]
Descriptors: Spatial Ability, Thinking Skills, Problem Solving, Mathematics, Talent, Talent Development, Cognitive Ability, Elementary Secondary Education, Curriculum Implementation, Visual Perception, Learning Strategies, Learning Activities, Class Activities, Parents as Teachers, Extracurricular Activities, Gender Differences, Sex Stereotypes
Related Records: EJ1435234
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Center for Education Research (NCER) (ED/IES)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A210428
Author Affiliations: N/A