You may have heard about spatial intelligence or spatial reasoning, but you may not know what it is. In this article, we will shed some light on this fascinating topic
Spatial intelligence is the ability to imagine objects in relation to each other and visualize how they fit together in space. People who are gifted at spatial reasoning can see things in their mind’s eye and manipulate objects in their imagination. They excel at envisioning hypothetical scenarios and predicting outcomes. An example is someone who can mentally picture a map of their city and find their way around with ease. Another example is the ability to estimate how many blocks will fit into a certain sized container.
Even though some people are better at spatial reasoning than others, it is a skill that can be learned through practice. Boys tend to excel more at this skill than girls, which may explain why more men go into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) career fields; but girls are just as can develop spatial skills just as easily as boys. Examples include playing with building and construction toys like Brackitz, and playing certain spatially involved video games like Tetris or Minecraft or crafts that improve spatial skills such as sewing (how to take a 2-D object and make it into a 3-D object!)
Not only can spatial ability be learned, but developing these skills can lead to improvements in math and language competencies. Spatial reasoning is closely related to the ability to use math to solve real world problems. When math can be taught from this perspective, it can help students to
visualize the problems that math is trying to solve, rather than justseeing numbers on a page.Also, when spatial language is used in the classroom, it can help children put their spatial thoughts into words, thus improving their communication skills.
For a more in-depth exploration of spatial intelligence, see the followingblog posts!
How to Grow Young Minds into STEM Ready Thinkers
5 Best Ways to Improve Spatial Skills in Children
Using Spatial Skill Training to Bridge the Gap
Benefits of Spatial Skill Development
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