Development of Spatial Geometry Cognition in 3-, 4-, and 5-Year-Old

Abstract

This study composed spatial cognition tasks within the system of geometric area to study children’s spatial cognition development systematically. It surveyed children’s execution of direction, rotation, symmetry, conjugation, and part/whole cognition tasks. A spatial geometry cognition task set (consisting of total 27 sub-tasks) was presented to 60 children (20 each in groups of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old) in order to confirm how children’s execution of spatial geometry cognition changed depending on children’s age and sex as well as if the execution of the spatial geometry cognition showed a difference after each task area. As a result, the execution of the whole direction task and the part/whole task gradually increased between age 3 and age 5. The execution of the whole rotation task, whole symmetry task, and whole conjugation task rapidly increased between age 3 and age 4. Significant sexual difference did not appear in the execution of spatial geometry cognition tasks. The execution of the conjugation and part/whole task was high in each task area, and the execution of the direction, rotation, and symmetry task was relatively low. In addition, the difference of task execution appeared in the sub-tasks of direction, symmetry, and conjugation areas. This result suggests the theoretical discussion possibility of children’s spatial geometry cognition development. In addition, the empirical results of this study can be applied to child education plans and activity compositions appropriate for child development. Keywords: spatial geometry cognition, direction, rotation, symmetry