Patterns and Algebra
Review of “The Importance of Spatial Reasoning and Geometry in Kindergarten”
This article is written by Edward Schroeter, a Kindergarten teacher in Ontario. He argues that spatial reasoning and geometry need more focus in Kindergarten than they are getting. Schroeter begins by talking about the spatial skills he has observed in his students and then poses the question of “the place of spatial reasoning and geometry in their learning”.
In the second paragraph, he describes the problem he is aiming to solve: that Kindergarten teachers are not spending enough time on the math strand that deals with shape and space, underestimating their importance. He reiterates the point after discussing some research on the topic.
The article lists many components of spatial reasoning, such as visualizing and orienting. He also provides examples of where spatial reasoning is used in real life, such as packing the trunk of a car.
There is a section of the article discussing that spatial reasoning is correlated with later development of math and reading skills, so much so that it s virtually unaffected by differences in gender and socio-economic status.
The next section ponders how much focus there should be on geometry in Kindergarten, suggesting that numeracy is the most important strand of math in Kindergarten, followed by geometry and spatial skills. He defines the strands slightly differently than we do in Newfoundland, identifying three other strands instead of two. He reflects on the difficulty he had downplaying these other strands and provides other sources to back up the idea.
The final section provides suggestions for how to implement more geometry and spatial reasoning in Kindergarten by providing sources for activities and a list of toys that can help children learn about it.
This article achieves its goal of stressing the importance of this strand of math in Kindergarten.It clearly defines the problem of this strand not having enough focus in Kindergarten, discusses benefits of changing this, and offers solutions. However, it never defines what spatial reasoning is. It lists components of spatial reasoning but does not define or provide examples of any of them. Defining every component would be a bit cumbersome but an example of one or two of them would be beneficial. It provides good examples of where spatial reasoning is important in real life but could be improved by an example of how it is relevant to children.
There is a section about how spatial reasoning predicts later ability in math and reading, which strongly supports the overall point, but fails to explain why there is a connection. The next section discusses what amount of geometry should be taught in Kindergarten but is frustratingly vague about what type of geometry kindergarteners should be expected to learn. Apart from photo captions, the article fails to specify what activities or skills related to geometry are expected at that grade level. The article does provide helpful resources for finding geometric activities appropriate for Kindergarten, but could benefit from outlining an example of one.
Overall, the article argues its point well and provides many sources to back up its claims. It makes good points about where spatial skills are beneficial in life. However, it never defines what spatial reasoning is and is vague about how to implement it in Kindergarten.