Tender Years Child Development Center: Childcare in Camp Hill, Hershey & Mechanicsburg
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Tender Years

Daycare, Preschool, Childcare & Kindergarten in Camp Hill, Hershey, Mechanicsburg

  • Camp Hill
  • Hampden
  • Hershey
  • Mechanicsburg
  • Programs
    • Infants
    • Young Toddlers
    • Older Toddlers
    • Preschool
    • Pre-K
    • Kindergarten
    • Before & After School
    • Summer Camp
    • ACE Customized Curriculum
  • About
    • COVID-19 Response
    • About Tender Years
    • Leadership Team
    • Accreditations & Awards
    • Security & Safety
    • Meals & Nutrition
      • ORDER LUNCH
    • What Parents Are Saying
    • Perfect-Match Pledge
  • Resources
    • Documents
    • Lunch Menus
    • ORDER LUNCH
    • FAQs
    • How To Choose Child Care
    • How To Afford Child Care
    • Industry Info
  • News & Events
    • News & Blog
    • Events
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Give Us Feedback
    • Recognize a Class Act
  • Careers

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Developing Spatial Reasoning at Home

October 5, 2016 by TenderYears

blocks-503109_1280Spatial reasoning is what we do when we visualize and manipulate shapes in our mind. It is one of the critical cognitive abilities used by engineers and architects to design and build structures, but it also extends far beyond that. Even Michelangelo used his spatial thinking when he sculpted his famous work “David”. Research has also found that spatial reasoning improves a child’s achievement in mathematics and other STEM related curricular areas within school. 

Cultivating a child’s spatial reasoning is not as hard as it may seem. It requires no engineer degree nor crazy equipment. Some of these things your child may already do, but they all encourage your child to look at their world and objects around them in a new way.

Blocks and Legos

Blocks and the like, are a fundamental tool in the toy box of spatial reasoning development. Building with a variety of building toys helps kids think about and make a 2 dimensional plan then, transform it into a three-dimensional project using their spatial skills. This is especially encouraged for girls, who have been shown to play less with spatial toys than boys.

Puzzles

From the basic shape sorting puzzles for young toddlers to jigsaw puzzles, these time cherished toys help children visualize where and how a puzzle piece will fit.

Using and Creating Maps

Surprisingly, this is not just for school-aged kids. Children as young as age 3 can learn to interpret maps of their bedroom (or other familiar room). Make a treasure map (to a hidden toy) and have your child go on a hunt. Maps can get more sophisticated as children grow, school-age children can begin helping plan routes for your next road trip!

Reading

Books can teach so many skills, including spatial reasoning. Look for books that includes pictures from different angles or perspectives that contain maps, and that use spatial language (names of shapes, sizes, orientations…). Books that don’t contain any words also trigger those cognitive abilities, as they require close attention to illustrations in order to decipher their meaning.  Mindshift has a great list of spatial reasoning picture books.

 

As part of our Adaptive, Coordinated, Essentials Customized Curriculum (ACE), our Tender Years teachers focus not only on the standards-based curriculum but also the essential areas for holistic success. This embraces cognitive development, including spatial reasoning.

 

 

Filed Under: Parenting

Tender Years Child Development Center - Camp Hill, Hershey & Mechanicsburg

Tender Years Camp Hill
203 House Ave.
Camp Hill, PA 17011
717-761-7113

Tender Years Hampden
4545 Marketplace Way
Enola, PA 17025
717-550-2399

Tender Years Hershey
50 East Chocolate Ave
Hershey, PA 17033
717-533-1466

Tender Years Mechanicsburg
201 Bryant Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
717-590-7050

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