Spatial reasoning resources

Developed as part of the SPAtial Cognition to Enhance mathematical learning (SPACE) programme funded by the Education Endowment Foundation, the spatial reasoning prompt cards (PDF) suggest ways to spatialise the mathematics curriculum and ways to support children in their spatial reasoning during Lego building activities. The SPACE resources are organised according to six spatial skills that can be fostered in the classroom: visualisation, visual and spatial memory, composing and decomposing, spatial scaling, perspective taking and spatial representation.

Download the prompt cards (PDF)

Developed as part of the Block Construction for Mathematics (BLOCs) project, funded by The Leverhulme Trust, the Lego activity ideas document explains the links between spatial skills, Lego and maths and how to encourage the development of these spatial skills during Lego play. 

Download the Lego activity ideas (PDF)

This trajectory of spatial reasoning development for 7- to 11-year-olds complements the trajectory of spatial reasoning development for birth to seven years developed by the Early Childhood Maths Group (see ECMG Spatial Reasoning Toolkit). These two trajectories are informed by extensive review of research in this area and together offer activities for children from birth to 11 years. This trajectory is presented in four sections, covering space (spatial relations) and shape (objects and properties) for 7- to 9-year-olds and 9- to 11-year-olds. Three columns identify the areas of spatial reasoning, the progression in children’s learning and developmentally appropriate activities. Each child develops in their own unique way: age bands are approximate and dependent on previous experience, so should be used as a guide rather than age-related expectations. Spatial reasoning is wider than traditional geometry, including aspects of space and shape such as position and direction, navigation, perspective-taking, scaling, transformations, shape properties and structure, composition and decomposition; the document could be used to substitute a geometry curriculum, with activities integrated throughout the curriculum.

This document forms part of a series of Royal Society publications on spatial reasoning which can be found at: Royal Society Curriculum and Assessment and accompanies our earlier work on the ECMG Spatial Reasoning Toolkit. 
The series includes: 
•    RS ACME Primary and early years expert panel perspective: Spatial reasoning - June 2024 (royalsociety.org) 
•    Progression of Spatial Reasoning across age bands (Appendix 1 of document listed above)
•    This document, An evidence-based trajectory of spatial reasoning development for 7- to 11-year-olds.
•    Whole-school approach case studies: Supporting Primary Children’s Spatial Reasoning in Geography and Design & Technology

Download the trajectory of Spatial Reasoning development (PDF)

Acknowledgements: This document was written by Dr Sue Gifford¹, Prof. Emily Farran² and Dr Alison Borthwick¹ with contributions from the Joint Primary ATM/MA group, Clare Christie (mathematics lead teacher) and Remke Klapwijk (Delft University of Technology).
¹Royal Society ACME Primary and Early Years Expert Panel
²University of Surrey, UK

To cite this document: Gifford, S., Farran, E.K., Borthwick, A. (2024). An evidenced-based trajectory of spatial reasoning development for 7- to 11-year-olds. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/394nk_v1