DEVELOPING SPATIAL SKILLS: Research has shown that there is a relationship in older students between spatial skills and math achievement. There are many that feel that developing spatial skills is equivalent in importance to literacy and understanding of numbers, particularly in a world that is heading toward a greater graphic- and image-driven society. A variety of activities is best. Just like muscles are stronger when you exercise them in different ways, spatial skills strengthen with variety. Activities that help develop spatial skills are:
Pattern Play
Block Play (particularly with geometric blocks)
Origami
Kirigami
Understanding Maps and Graphs
Tessellations - Building
Tessellations - Coloring
Mosaics - Building
Tangrams
Understanding Space (like with kite building and flying)
Building & Constructing (into both small and large objects)
