Department of Psychology, Temple University.
School of Education, University of Delaware.
Dev Psychol. 2020 Apr;56(4):686-698. doi: 10.1037/dev0000899.
Spatial skills are associated with mathematics skills, but it is unclear if spatial training transfers to mathematics skills for preschoolers, especially from underserved communities. The current study tested (a) whether spatial training benefited preschoolers' spatial and mathematics skills, (b) if the type of feedback provided during spatial training differentially influenced children's spatial and mathematics skills, and (c) if the spatial training's effects varied by socioeconomic status (SES). Preschoolers (N = 187) were randomly assigned to either a 'business-as-usual' control or one of three spatial training groups (modeling and feedback [MF]; gesture feedback [GF]; spatial language feedback [SLF]). Three-year-olds were trained to construct puzzles to match a model composed of various geometric shapes. New models were created similar to the 2-dimensional trials of the Test of Spatial Assembly (TOSA). Training was given once per week for 5 weeks. Preschoolers were pretested and posttested on 2D and 3D TOSA trials, spatial vocabulary, shape identification, and 2 mathematics assessments. Results indicate that first, any spatial training improved preschoolers' 2D TOSA performance, although a significant interaction with SES indicated improvement was driven by low-SES children. Furthermore, low-SES children showed greatest gains on the 2D TOSA with MF and GF. Second, MF and GF improved low-SES children's performance on the 3D TOSA. Third, only low-SES children with MF saw improvements in far-transfer to mathematics (Woodcock-Johnson: Applied Problems, but not the Test of Early Mathematical Ability). Results indicate that, especially for low-income learners, spatial training can improve children's early spatial and mathematics skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
空间技能与数学技能相关，但目前尚不清楚空间训练是否会转移到学龄前儿童的数学技能上，尤其是来自服务不足社区的儿童。本研究测试了：（a）空间训练是否有益于学龄前儿童的空间和数学技能；（b）在空间训练过程中提供的反馈类型是否会对儿童的空间和数学技能产生不同影响；（c）空间训练的效果是否因社会经济地位（SES）而异。将 187 名学龄前儿童随机分配到“常规”对照组或三种空间训练组之一（模型和反馈[MF]；手势反馈[GF]；空间语言反馈[SLF]）。三岁的孩子接受训练，将拼图拼到与由各种几何形状组成的模型匹配。新模型的创建类似于二维测试的空间装配测试（TOSA）。每周进行一次训练，共进行 5 周。在二维和三维 TOSA 试验、空间词汇、形状识别和 2 项数学评估中对学龄前儿童进行了前测和后测。结果表明，首先，任何空间训练都可以提高学龄前儿童的二维 TOSA 表现，尽管 SES 的显著交互作用表明，这一改善是由低收入家庭儿童推动的。此外，MF 和 GF 使低收入家庭儿童在二维 TOSA 上的表现提高幅度最大。其次，MF 和 GF 提高了低收入家庭儿童在三维 TOSA 上的表现。第三，只有接受 MF 的低收入家庭儿童在远迁移到数学方面（伍德科克-约翰逊：应用问题，但不是早期数学能力测试）方面有所提高。结果表明，特别是对于低收入学习者，空间训练可以提高儿童的早期空间和数学技能。（PsycINFO 数据库记录（c）2020 APA，保留所有权利）。
