Spatial abilities in early childhood

Abstract

Spatial abilities are the capacity to comprehend shapes of objects, their positions and the spatial relations among objects. This paper, which establishes that spatial abilities belong to engineering abilities, presents a set of learning activities that promote the development of spatial abilities in early childhood, thereby proving that engineering abilities can be acquired in early childhood. Spatial abilities promote success in engineering and other STEM fields. For example, an astronomer must be able to visualize the elements of the universe, and an engineering should be able to visualize the components of machinery (s)he is working with. Certain engineering abilities can be developed in very young students, in early childhood. Spatial abilities belong to this category. Children use spatial abilities intuitively in their day-to-day life. By promoting spatial abilities in very young children, they are set up for achievements in engineering and other STEM fields through their life. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate that abilities pertaining to engineering are not confined to higher education, and in fact engineering abilities can be acquired by very young students as well. In the following paper, a set of spatial abilities that qualify as engineering abilities appropriate to early childhood are discussed. Further, a set of tools and a set of corresponding learning activities are identified which promote these abilities. These activities are based on the usage of childhood STEM toys such as LEGO building blocks. The target audience are students in their early childhood, between the ages of 2 and 5 years old. The focus is on their acquisition of these abilities through these learning activities. Through this demonstration, the acquisition of spatial abilities as engineering abilities in early childhood is established.