Title: The Importance of Teaching Children to Read Maps
Headings: The Importance of Teaching Children to Read Maps
The Importance of Teaching Children to Read Maps
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Content: These research findings have implications for teaching and selecting maps and other instructional materials. The ability to "read" a map, even a very simple one, is a skill that must be learned and can require considerable time and effort. For example, one of the findings was that students in grades 2 through 4 are able to make the transition from map symbols that are iconic or representative of objects in the world to abstract symbols. However, research also cautioned that students in this age range are still likely to make errors in interpretation and are likely to need explicit guidance about the meaning of symbols. For that reason, the instructional guidance cautions that students should be provided with maps that display a limited amount of information to help them focus on the information that is provided. The fundamental lesson of this research is consistent with research on skill acquisition across the curriculum: children should be presented with challenging tasks that demand that they learn new skills but do not overwhelm them with challenges that are too numerous or complex. They should also be provided with enough assistance to identify and correct errors and given enough opportunities to practice skills across a range of challenges sufficient for them to achieve full mastery. This specific research helps teachers understand in advance what their students will find challenging, select appropriate tasks, and guide students to overcome specific difficulties or misconceptions. Essentially, this research helps teachers understand what most of us have so much trouble understanding—what looking at a map is like for someone who has not yet mastered one or more aspects of map reading.