Thinking In 3D = Better Math Results

Every so often I check out Mathematical news to see what is happening in the field.  In the process, I found several studies which indicate the children who have better spatial reasoning, do better in mathematics later on.  For instance, a study done by the University of Chicago found that children who could see how shapes fit together did better with number lines and performing computations.

Although the world is three dimensional, we teach everything as if it were flat. When we teach numbers and letters to students we don't take time to talk about them in terms of how rounded or pointy they are, or how their heights compare, or even how close or far they are.  This helps children develop their spatial reasoning which has long term benefits.

Two ways to help young children develop their spatial skills is to let them play with puzzles and blocks.  The study discovered that when parents play with their children using blocks, they are more likely to use spatial vocabulary such as "above", "over", or "through". Another study indicates that parents who use words like "curvy", "edge", or "face", their children are more likely to use that terminology later on in school.  In fact, the more terms the parents use, the better their children do in mathematics.

This is important because spacial skills are used in the STEM fields such as engineering, science, technology, and mathematics. Furthermore, a different study found that students who score well in spatial reasoning on tests in high school were more likely to go into STEM subjects in college.  Students who do well, usually come from homes where parents used the terms when they were young and introduced them to spacial reasoning as children.

Another study, this one from Switzerland, found that a students success in Primary school can be determined by their spatial ability at the age of three.  They also found that students who had a lower spatial relationship ability at three, did improve but they never caught up to the ones who did well at three.    They also found out that at the age of three, there is little difference in the abilities of boys and girls but over the coming years, girls tend to develop slower than boys. 

It is suspected this happens because the toys designed for boys tend to encourage the use of spatial reasoning and appropriate use of language while toys for girls focus more on social skills.  It is also possible that there is a bit of gender bias in regard to the perceived roles of men vs women.  

Fortunately, there are things we can do as parents and as teachers to help improve spatial reasoning from childhood on.  First, it is important to use the appropriate vocabulary in everyday situations.  Rather than using words such as this or that, be specific with language such as "the ball on the second shelf on the left hand side." This serves two purposes.  First, it helps children with developing their spatial ability and second, the person has to visual position to describe it.

Next,  try taking up chess because it requires the players to visual multiple moves ahead of the current ones.  Each time a move is made, the board changes and by looking at things ahead, one visualizes all the changes that happen each move.  You are also aware of all the possible moves your opponent has after each move.

Go back to playing with Legos.  This is a perfect activity to work on spatial exploration when putting the modular pieces together in creative ways.  How do you use Legos to make a building, a spacecraft, or even a tree? Another way to improve spatial reasoning is to picture places like your apartment, your favorite coffee shop, or other building in your mind.  Picture everything you can in it's proper location in your head.  This is called creating a memory palace and can be used to remember telephone numbers and anything else.

Or you could play video games because you use spatial intelligence as your character moves through the game.  Have fun creating place in minecraft because it helps develop spatial reasoning as you put things together.  Want something a bit more fun, buy yourself a drone and fly it.  Again, you use spatial intelligence as you determine where the drone has to fly, changes one has to make to avoid things, and plan ahead to where it is going.

As a parent, do any of the above with your child.  As a teacher, spend a bit of time using these in class.  When it is fun, people are more likely to do it.  Go ahead and do this regardless of age.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.