Spatial Understanding and Thinking in Early Childhood Education: Implications for School Readiness

By Akila Radhakrishnan

Abstract
Early Childhood Education (ECE) forms the cornerstone of a child’s cognitive, emotional, and social development. This article delves into the dynamic interplay between spatial vocabulary, spatial thinking, and school readiness in young learners, with special reference to students coming to government primary schools from anganwadis. It explores how the introduction of spatial vocabulary through interactive play-based activities in a systematic manner can cultivate and foster spatial thinking, positively influence numeracy comprehension and foster enhanced preparedness for formal education.

Introduction

Play is the highest form of research, and this is particularly true for young children. They discover the answers to their many questions through experimentation, exploration, and conversation. They engage in guided and scaffolded play in environments designed specifically for them by adults. Young minds are naturally curious and are always willing to learn because of these encounters.

Educators, politicians, and parents are active participants in designing the future of these young minds. A well-designed curriculum should address the various needs and requirements of global citizens. This, in turn, is to improve both the cognitive and behavioural development of our future generation as per the forthcoming demand.

There are various components that play a crucial role in developing and improving ECE. Each plays a crucial and sustainable role in achieving better childhood experiences.

The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) emphasises a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to education. Critical thinking, problem-solving, and inter-disciplinary learning are closely related to spatial understanding, thinking and reasoning. The focus of NEP on early education provides an impetus to introduce these in a more structured and effective manner to young learners for a better overall learning experience. Anganwadis serve as an important space for early learning and there is much more that can be done to improve these in terms of quality and effectiveness.

Components of ECE

Improving ECE involves a multifaceted approach, with each component playing an integral and sustainable role in improving overall childhood experiences. This article investigates the significance of spatial vocabulary and spatial thinking in driving children’s development and improving the quality of ECE, which, in turn, aids better school readiness.

The aim of early education is to facilitate the optimum development of a child’s potential and lay the foundation for all-round development and lifelong learning. Studies¹ show how spatial vocabulary through play-based activities introduced in the foundation years help spatial thinking as a part of school readiness.

Role of spatial vocabulary in early learning
Spatial vocabulary serves as a bridge between language and spatial cognition. Children begin to internalise spatial terms as they interact with their environment, manipulate objects, and engage in imaginative play. These terms, which include ‘above,’ ‘below,’ ‘near,’ and ‘far’, ‘in’, on, and ‘in between,’ among others, equip children with a linguistic toolkit to articulate their observations and conceptualise the world around them.

Acquisition of spatial vocabulary
Children acquire spatial vocabulary through diverse experiences. In a formal setting, play-based activities provide a fertile ground for them to experiment with spatial relationships. Building structures, arranging toys, and exploring their surroundings facilitate an intuitive grasp of spatial concepts. These hands-on encounters infuse spatial words with meaning from the context, helping children translate abstract notions into concrete mental representations.

Spatial vocabulary and cognitive development
Spatial vocabulary fuels cognitive development in various ways. As children learn to communicate spatial relationships, their ability to mentally manipulate objects and anticipate outcomes is enhanced. This cognitive flexibility lays the ground for mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills. Additionally, spatial vocabulary contributes to memory consolidation by enabling children to organise and recall spatial information.

Implications for early education
Recognising the vital role of spatial vocabulary, educators can harness play-based learning to foster cognitive growth. Creating environments rich in spatial cues and encouraging dialogue involving spatial terms empowers children to articulate their observations and inquire about their surroundings. Moreover, integrating spatial vocabulary into the curriculum design lays the foundation for future mathematical and scientific understanding.

School readiness and anganwadis

Students enrolled in government primary schools from community anganwadis are generally from almost similar socio-economic backgrounds. Many students lack the foundational literacy and numeracy skills that are expected of them when they enter class I. One of the vital components of numeracy is spatial vocabulary and spatial thinking. Students in the foundation years, if provided with spatial vocabulary, which helps in spatial thinking, might have a better understanding and advantage over numeracy. This helps them to be better prepared for school.

The characteristics and skills children should have to be able to learn well in school have been conceptualised as children’s readiness for school. School readiness has many facets and relates to a child’s acquisition of a particular set of competencies that aid in their successful entry into a learning environment. One of the most important components, among others, is spatial vocabulary and thought processes that can improve their readiness for the foundation years of schooling. It plays a vital role in developing preparedness for learning and involving the child in inquiry-based learning.

Just a foundation in language and math cannot define school readiness. Expectations for readiness should cover all domains, including abilities in the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional realms, as well as a positive attitude towards learning. If government anganwadis are equipped with the tools, resources, and materials necessary to introduce spatial vocabulary and thinking to the children who attend these in the foundation years, these children will be better prepared for learning in school.

Student interaction and spatial vocabulary development: A methodological approach

Interacting with class I students at a government higher primary school and realising that they had limited exposure to spatial vocabulary, I designed and conducted a systematic plan to help them learn spatial concepts for a more child-centric learning. Age-appropriate activities were thoughtfully curated to include individual, group, and interactive scenarios. The activities were meticulously designed to align with the learning indicators essential for ECE, emphasising spatial learning.

Students were able to recognise the term ‘on’ but displayed unfamiliarity with other basic spatial vocabulary. To address this gap, a systematic approach was devised to introduce and familiarise students with a set of essential spatial vocabulary words, including ‘up,’ ‘in,’ ‘on,’ ‘behind,’ in front of’ and ‘beside’. The introduction of these words followed a methodological pattern, leveraging various teaching strategies. The objective was to engage students in hands-on experiences, visual aids, creative endeavours, and physical activities to foster active usage and practice of spatial vocabulary. We categorised teaching activities into four levels:

Level 1: Playful introduction with toys
At this level, students were introduced to new spatial vocabulary using toys. This helped them interact with and manipulate toys, creating an engaging and learning environment. The students were encouraged to arrange, build, and move objects for the introduced spatial words.

Level 2: Individual teacher interaction
To deepen comprehension, students engaged in one-on-one interactions with the teacher. This personalised approach aimed at clarifying contextual usage of the introduced spatial words.

Level 3: Peer interaction and observation
Students observed their peers interacting with toys/teachers and engaging in activities that highlighted the practical application of spatial vocabulary.

Level 4: Dynamic learning and reinforcement
Dynamic learning activities were designed to reinforce memory retention. Interactive activities, whether individual, pair-based, or involving the entire class, utilised the classroom space and furniture. Drawing from real-life situations, these activities made learning both interactive and enjoyable.

Tools, such as toys, blocks, pictures, drawings, and cartoon characters were employed to provide a contextual understanding of spatial words. The classroom itself became a resource for learning as movement and games were integrated to reinforce the vocabulary introduced. Students were taken for nature walks and also played outdoor games like Treasure Hunt. This outdoor exploration broadened students’ comprehension by connecting learned concepts with the broader environment.

These activities were designed to stimulate multiple senses, thereby, enhancing the effectiveness of the learning process. Employing a structured and diverse methodology to introduce spatial vocabulary enabled students to gradually grasp and internalise these concepts. The language classes played an important role in implementing it.

Since students did not use spatial words in their classroom interactions and made do with gestures instead, it was observed that even though they identified with the spatial words that were introduced, they had difficulty using them in meaningful sentences in a conversation. This is the reason students were not able to make a simple sentence with the words introduced from the context. As a remedy, the language teacher was encouraged to use this vocabulary in the class in everyday contexts. This, additionally, helped the students use the words to make meaningful sentences in the given environment, which reflected in their learning of numeracy skills.

This approach provided repetition, reinforcement, and ample opportunities for children to actively use and practice spatial vocabulary. The systematic progression through different levels of engagement using dynamic, playful, and interactive techniques not only enhanced spatial thinking but also helped in the comprehensive understanding of basic numeracy skills.

Understanding of spatial vocabulary

To effectively assess students’ comprehension of spatial vocabulary and their development of spatial thinking, a rubric was implemented as an evaluation tool, coupled with general observations, to provide a comprehensive narrative of the process.

The rubric was tailored to gauge the following aspects of this study:

1. Understanding of spatial vocabulary: Assessing the degree to which students comprehended the introduced spatial vocabulary.
2. Positional awareness: Evaluating their ability to identify object locations concerning their own bodies in a space.
3. Relative object placement: Measuring their capability to position objects relative to other objects, independent of their own bodies.
4. Independent object placement: Observing the proficiency in autonomously placing objects based on given instructions.
5. Verbal application: Assessing students’ skill in incorporating spatial vocabulary into sentences during simple conversations.
6. Numeracy integration: Gauging their adeptness in utilising spatial vocabulary to enhance numeracy learning.

Preliminary results suggest that the integration of spatial vocabulary and thinking positively influences students’ spatial cognition. Over time, students demonstrated improved abilities in identifying object locations, using spatial vocabulary in sentences, and independently placing objects as per instructions. Those exposed to spatial concepts earlier exhibited greater ease in understanding mathematical relationships. The ability to mentally manipulate spatial information appears to correlate with enhanced numeracy comprehension, offering a potential avenue for improving school readiness. This acquired skill significantly aids both teachers and learners if initiated early.

Educational implications

Children’s environments and the inputs and support they receive in their early years will have an enormous impact on their future, both in school and beyond. A growing body of evidence points to the fact that there is a learning crisis. Children are enrolled in school but are failing to learn the fundamentals. This crisis may begin long before children enter class I. Identifying the support that children need in their early years may help prevent learning problems from occurring and accumulating later.

To develop numerical ability in young students, government anganwadis must incorporate various teaching methods and activities that engage children in the learning process, as recommended by Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) NEP 2020. When entering class I, a student is expected to have basic numeracy skills, which help in the acquisition of learning. Spatial learning has been found to be particularly important for the development of early numeracy skills. Studies have shown that young children who receive spatial training show significant improvements in their ability to understand numbers, count, and solve simple math problems. This is because spatial training can help children develop a better understanding of quality and the relationships between numbers. The development of spatial vocabulary influences spatial thinking.

In anganwadi centres, spatial learning is fostered through various activities intentionally designed to help children develop their spatial awareness, such as playing with building blocks, puzzles, and educational games that involve spatial reasoning. Additionally, anganwadi centres can incorporate elements of sensory integration therapy into their programmes to help children develop spatial awareness. This will also support their understanding and predict their later success in STEM.

Conclusion

Spatial vocabulary and thinking represent vital components of early education, influencing school readiness and cognitive development. Introducing spatial vocabulary through interactive activities in the foundation years paves the way for improved numeracy comprehension. By harnessing the power of spatial thinking, educators and carers empower young learners to navigate their educational journey with confidence and curiosity. As we embrace evolving educational paradigms, spatial vocabulary and thinking stand as crucial tools in shaping well-rounded, adaptable, and prepared learners.

AUTHOR
Akila Radhakrishnan has been working in the field of education for the last 18 years and is currently the Academic Head of a Bengaluru-based NGO. Having first-hand experience with education-based research, her interest is in making academia reach young minds in innovative ways for the learning to be truly unforgettable.