Spatial Reasoning in the Early Years: Principles, Assertions, and Speculations

by Brent Davis and the Spatial Reasoning Study Group

published by Taylor & Francis, Routledge, 2015

This book isn’t really a typical professional resource for teachers – it is much more of an academic read. The Canadian authors are all affiliated with universities and their areas of research intersect around spatial reasoning, particularly in the early years. Their work draws about mathematics, education, neuroscience, psychology, art and more.

I have had this book for awhile as this is a particular area of interest for me and is inspiring our work for our BCAMT Reggio-Inspired Mathematics project. I attended some presentations affiliated with this group’s work at the PME conference in Vancouver in 2014 and I think it is important work for classroom teachers to consider as we try to broaden our thinking about what mathematics is, what different entry points there are for children seeing themselves as mathematicians and for using instructional tasks in classrooms that are research supported.

The authors begin with a working definition of spatial reasoning and a list of dynamic process in verb form such as locating, balancing and visualizing. The book concludes with a refined definition/framework for spatial reasoning. The chapters in-between zoom in on aspects of spatial reasoning written by small groups of contributing authors. For example, there is a chapter dedicated to the research that supports that spatial reasoning is not a fixed trait and is something that can be developed. Much research on embodied knowing and embodiment is shared as well as interactions between two and three dimensions. Throughout the book, as an imperative for re-imaging what we think of in terms of school mathematics and “geometry,” the authors refer to the research studies (such as Duncan et al 2007) that claim that spatial reasoning in four and five year olds is a strong indicator in overall school success as well as more specifically, literacy and numeracy.

There are a few helpful tables/graphics to help understand key concepts and that I will share in my work with teachers. This one to the left is a typology of different types of spatial reasoning which I think is important to consider in instructional planning and assessment.

One of the reasons I chose to read this book this summer is that some of the contributing authors in this book worked together on the Math for Young Children (M4YC) research project in Ontario which is the foundation for the wonderful book Taking Shape: Activities to Develop Geometric and Spatial Thinking K-2 – a book that is well worth the investment to have in elementary school professional libraries. This book is an excellent example of how a professional resource for teachers can show the theory to practice flow and intersection.

~Janice