Spatial Reasoning

[weederberries]

I'm looking for fun ways to practice and improve spatial reasoning.

 

My 9 year old DD has pretty poor spatial reasoning. Two practical examples: She hates coloring. She wanders randomly within the bounds of the picture leaving large gaps of white space and "can't" cover all the areas. She's always hated coloring, though I've instructed her in skills. In Kindergarten, she would ask, "Do I have to color it?" Seriously, the first time she asked, I was surprised and didn't know how to answer. My initial thought was, "well, you're a little girl, so yeah." I always loved coloring, but admit I wasn't very good for a while. I still don't understand my children's disdain for coloring, though the boys are good at it. I decided long ago it wasn't a battle worth fighting, so we avoid assignments that require a lot of it.

 

It dawned on me today while we were doing chores that she vacuums the way she colors. Random swipes that leave large areas untouched. Again, I've given very specific instruction, even physically guided her with the vacuum cleaner, but she just doesn't see the room in a "grid" like I do. Vacuuming in one direction, all the way to the wall, slightly overlapping strokes, moving from one side to the other until the area is covered, etc.

 

I'm struggling to remember myself at that age. I know SR develops later in girls than in boys. I know my sister instructed me on coloring neatly, in all one direction. I remember it, so I must have been about the same age. Since we have such a disdain for coloring already, I'm trying to think of other activities we can use to practice such skills.

 

Thanks.

[wapiti]

FWIW, I had a disdain for coloring and was frequently criticized about it in kindergarten. For me it was a fine motor issue, not a spatial issue at all. (The same can be said of my ds10 - he has *extremely* good spatial skills, poor fine motor skills. He's really, really good at math, not so much at handwriting.)

 

I'd consider both fine motor issues and developmental vision issues before I'd be worried about spatial. Fine motor skills also often follow gross motor weaknesses.

 

Eta, to work on spatial skills, consider the Critical Thinking Co's Figural books (e.g., this, though I can't comment on levels)

[Arcadia]

Coloring makes my hand sore and vacuum is just tiring. Both do not need spatial skills actually.

For spatial reasoning, I would look at map reading, drawing still life, dismantling and putting back objects or 3d puzzles. Even playing with a rubik cube. Or ask her to draw a floor plan of the house.

 

ETA:

Kanoodle (3D toy) is also a good training tool

[Staceyshoe]

Tangrams might be fun for her. The Critical Thinking Co also has a nice workbook for spatial reasoning. (Tangrams are one of the manipulatives needed for that book.)

[ladydusk]

I like the Critical Thinking Activities in Pattern, Imagery, and Logic book for K-3. There's a 4-6 book in the series too but I haven't seen it. My spatially strong daughter finds them easy but my other two find them challenging.

 

The symmetry sections in MEP would be free and good, too. We've done them inY1 and Y2 ... I would think they continue in later levels.

[Ali in OR]

My favorite spatial reasoning activity is putting together Lego kits! The instruction manuals are all visual--no words. You have to look at them carefully to make sure you're putting the right blocks in the right places. But I'm also thinking that what you are describing may not be a spatial reasoning problem.

[The Way of My People]

I second the tangram recommendation! We use a set called Tangoes Jr. because the pieces are magnetized - so they hold still a little better while my kids are trying to solve the puzzle. Here's the link:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Tangoes-JRT001-Junior/dp/B000F6RWW8/ref=sr_1_3?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1368553882&sr=1-3&keywords=tangoes