Chapter 2 - Spatial-Temporal and Language-Analytic Reasoning in Learning Math and Science

Abstract

This chapter discusses new educational approach which combines early music training to enhance spatial-temporal reasoning along with new spatial-temporal methods of teaching math and science. Thus it focuses on two complementary approaches namely, spatial-temporal and the language-analytic approaches. Both spatial-temporal and language-analytic reasoning are crucial to how we think, reason, and create, and, in general, in how we go back and forth between the two. The spatial-temporal allows the child to visualize the problem and a solution, which means understanding it conceptually. Understanding the concept allows child to better solve the relevant equations for the quantitative answers in the language-analytic approach. The tragedy is that the spatial-temporal approach is almost entirely neglected in traditional school systems. This chapter presents a two-part approach to change this. The results of first part conclude that piano keyboard training in three-year-old children can enhance their ability to do spatial-temporal reasoning. The second part is to design methods using spatial-temporal reasoning to teach math concepts. Computer software has been developed and been shown to work.