Map Skills Instruction and the Child's Developing Cognitive Abilities

Abstract

Research in education, psychology, and geography is utilized to relate the child's pattern of gradually developing cognitive abilities to his increasing ability to master skills. Although the child's symbolization abilities develop quite early, his ability to orient himself spatially and to use the important concepts of scale and an external frame of reference develop more gradually, as does his manipulative ability to make accurate, detailed maps. Based on this research, a hierarchical sequence for map skills instruction is proposed and related to existing map skills programs. This sequential structure differs from most existing materials in its emphasis on the very gradual development of the ability to use grid reference systems and orient himself satisfactorily on maps, as well as the gradual acquisition of certain measurement abilities.