Two year olds are more independent compared to toddlers, and their use of spatial skills has improved and will continue to improve as they grow. This is demonstrated by your child’s ability to maintain her body in relation to her surrounding environment. Parents must support their child’s spatial development by giving spatial cues.
Spatial cues might include parents asking their child to f ind two of the same things in the environment, such as asking your two year old to “Get the ball under the table” (spatial cue of where the ball is located), as opposed to “Get the ball” (no cue is given as to where the ball is located). Spatial cues encourage your child to use primarily the sense of sight to focus on the sizes and shapes of the objects she is looking for in the environment (e.g. ball [shape], under table [size]).
Your child’s spatial ability with shapes is purely visual. Children visualize and can see similarities and differences in shapes (straight, curved, zig-zagged, looped, thick, thin, circle, triangle, square, rectangle, flat, and pointy). Spatial abilities develop with time and experience.
Shapes are everywhere. You are able to see how your child has shapes all around her. Therefore, the more you engage your child in spatial play by talking about shapes, the better chance your child will have of building the foundations necessary for other early math skills.
