States that imagery is increasingly recognized as important in children's sense-making activities in mathematics. Presents an example of Elaine, a fifth-grade student who used her well-developed spatial sense in solving a nonroutine mathematics task. Illustrates some direct connections between a student's use of imagination and the ability to…

Presents an activity in which students use geometric figures, rep-tiles, to design a tile floor. Rep-tiles are geometric figures of which copies can fit together to form a larger similar figure. Includes reproducible student worksheet. (MKR)

Provides suggestions for teaching spatial relationships to preschool through primary age children, indicating that they need considerable firsthand experience to understand such relationships among objects. Several activities for teaching "opposites" and relative position are recommended, including the use of classroom puppets as vehicles for…

Presents sample activities and tasks conducive to developing spatial sense. (12 references) (MKR)

Eleven activities with a puzzle consisting of 12 five-square shapes are presented, with some solutions illustrated. (MNS)

Demonstrates how young children's learning of a completely novel route across a city district is enhanced by an accompanying adult making the child aware of potential landmarks. The importance of permanent and ephemeral landmarks in the child's verbal and modelled-map accounts of the route are discussed. (BC)

Four worksheets are presented, each using cubes to develop students' spatial visualization abilities. Directions and answer keys are both included. (MNS)

Suggests discovery activities in spatial awareness for elementary math, utilizing home-made geometric shapes and soma cubes. (SJL)

Reviews the development of spatial organization in children with blindness. Discusses the importance of motor exploration, tactual development, and spatial representation as critical factors in developing spatial and cognitive organizations of their surroundings. Suggests seven specific activities to improve spatial organization in blind children.…

This series of activities on spatial relationships was designed to help users acquire the skills of spatial visualization and orientation and to improve their effectiveness in applying those skills. The series contains an introduction to spatial orientation with several self-directed activities to help improve that skill. It also contains seven…

Some activities are provided to help students develop a conceptual understanding of perimeter, area, and volume, as well as developing skills in spatial visualization and formulating generalizations. (MNS)

The properties of the cube are explored. A set of activities is given that forms the basis of a class project on discovery. (MNS)

Geometry tiles can be used to develop and extend intuitive geometric concepts by helping children visualize geometric shapes and communicate spatial relationships. Eleven activities are described for introduction, basic concepts, geometric figures, transformations, and metric geometry. (MNS)

Presents activities using interpretation of visual clues and making decisions on the basis of those clues. Students in grades 2-4 use pictures of Native American tribal clothing. Students in grades 5 and 6 can practice determining scale and proportion as they make scale drawings. Includes reproducible student worksheets. (MKR)

Students are asked to find different tiles that could be manufactured and show how a particular tile can be used to cover a floor. Thus, tessellations are explored. (MNS)