Getting a Bearing on Maps

The Role of Projective Spatial Concepts in Map Understanding by Children

Abstract

Children are confronted with maps as tools for acquiring geographical knowledge. In this article, we link cartographic and cognitive developmentalheory to understand the development of map comprehension. We focus on requirements for understanding directional relationships among self, map, and represented space. Using the Piagetian analysis of projective spatial concepts, we describe data from 3- to 8-year-olds performing mapping tasks that require an appreciation of point of view. Data are presented from three tasks that assess understanding of (a) overhead views, (b) directional relations between views of a place, and (c) locational isomorphisms between views of a place.