SPATIAL SENSE is a word used to describe about relationship between shapes. It is an ability to see see spatial relationship between shapes and visualize them in our mind and move them around in our mind. This is mind bogging; something which I have been struggling all along. Like the writer says that some of us think we are not born with that spatial sense and he said it was not true. But geometry was my weakest topic in my Math subejct. That was why I struggled during the geometry activity. I could not see the relationship of those shapes neither could I mentally calculate their angles. However, as I read this textbook I begin to eliminate my fear of geometry and understand more about its ideas. According to Van Hiele; there are 5 levels of geometric thoughts; from level 0 to level 4. Interestingly; most of our nursery children begin at level 0 as they learn about shapes such as square, circle, oval and triangle. Children who can explore, touch and feel objects and classify them according to the shapes are at level 1 which is visualisation.
I believe it is important to provide children with lots of opportunities to explore with solid shapes from the basic square, circle, triange, oval then move on to rhombus, hexagon, octagon, so on. Providing them with such concrete experiences with geometric activities help build a foundation of geometric ideas in them.
Here's a catchy song for young children to learn about shapes - 'Shape Song'. Hope you all like it. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pQCfyoLF54&feature=related
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