Click on the Text icon and select Catling’s extract‘Map ability in under sevens’.
This looks at some research findings of map ability in the under sevens. Read the short extract and note down some key points in your online Notebook.
Working with a colleague, if it is appropriate, think of an incident from your own experience where you noticed a child displaying a sense of ‘cognitive mapping’ either through his behaviour, play or drawing, as defined by Catling.
Make a note describing the incident then try to identify for yourself how this might impact on your teaching.
Now look at the second Catling extract ‘Map ability in juniors’ above, which discusses research findings with older children. How do these descriptions compare with your own experience? Note some key points from the summary paragraph in your online Notebook and consider how this might influence your practice.
Young children’s perception of maps
‘There is a need to challenge the view that mapwork with younger children is either unnecessary or beyond their capability.’
(Catling, 1979, p. 288)
Children’s map ability
Early research indicated that young children’s understanding of mapwork is developmental. For example, Catling’s 1979 study found that:
‘… while children as young as 3 years old are capable of demonstrating a rudimentary map ability, children at 11 are able to draw useful cognitive maps, and display a practical map reading ability, though at that age they are only just learning to see patterns and to draw inferences from maps.’
(Catling, 1979, p. 288)
Catling identified two aspects of a child’s ‘map ability’:
Cognitive mapping– the capacity to understand the spatial structure of his environment in order to solve such problems as finding his way around. This would be evidenced by the child’s movement behaviour, play or drawing.
Map reading ability– the capacity to read and interpret simplified or conventional maps.
Although this study took place some time ago, its conclusions appear to be valid today.
You should try Activity 2 now which provides the opportunity for you to look in more detail at specific examples of research.
Unit Resources
