Foundations of Mathematical Thinking · Senior Infants

Active learning ideas

Finding Our Way

Active learning works well for spatial awareness because young children develop understanding through movement and touch. When children position themselves in space and relate objects to their own bodies, they internalize directional language naturally. Hands-on activities also reduce abstract confusion by grounding concepts in real classroom experiences.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Shape and Space
• NCCA: Primary - Spatial Awareness

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Walk and Talk
• 20 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Direction Simon Says

Call out positional commands like 'Stand to the left of your chair' or 'Walk between the tables.' Children follow and then lead rounds. Discuss successes and mix-ups as a group.

Can you tell me what is to the left of the door?

Facilitation Tip

During Direction Simon Says, have children face the same direction so left and right refer to the same perspective.

What to look for

Place three classroom objects in a line (e.g., a book, a pencil, an eraser). Ask students: 'What is between the book and the eraser?' Observe their responses to gauge understanding of the term 'between'.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Walk and Talk
• 30 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Classroom Grid Hunt

Draw a large floor grid with chalk or tape, labeling spots with classroom objects. Children roll a die to move and describe their position, like 'I am next to the bookshelf.' Groups report findings.

How would you get from the classroom to the bathroom , can you show me?

Facilitation Tip

For the Classroom Grid Hunt, place objects in obvious grid squares first to build confidence before adding complexity.

What to look for

Give each student a small grid paper. Ask them to draw a smiley face in one square, a star in the square to its right, and a heart in the square above the smiley face. Collect to check their ability to place objects based on relative position.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Walk and Talk
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: Follow My Map

One child draws a simple map of the classroom with a start and path to an object. Partner follows directions to find it, then switches roles. Pairs share maps with the class.

What is between the window and the bookshelf?

Facilitation Tip

In Follow My Map, model one step at a time and encourage pairs to check each other’s work before moving forward.

What to look for

Ask students to imagine they are guiding a new student from their desk to the water fountain. Prompt them: 'What directions would you give? Would you say 'turn left' or 'go straight'? How would you describe what is next to the water fountain?'

• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Walk and Talk
• 15 min · Individual

Individual: My Desk Grid

Children create a 3x3 grid around their desk, placing stickers or drawings and labeling positions. They describe grids to a neighbor for verification.

Can you tell me what is to the left of the door?

Facilitation Tip

On My Desk Grid, remind children to hold their pencils in their dominant hand to avoid reversing left and right when drawing.

What to look for

Place three classroom objects in a line (e.g., a book, a pencil, an eraser). Ask students: 'What is between the book and the eraser?' Observe their responses to gauge understanding of the term 'between'.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with whole-class games to establish shared language and body awareness. Avoid worksheet-only approaches since young learners need movement to internalize spatial concepts. Research shows frequent, short bursts of directional practice strengthen memory more than prolonged lessons. Model mistakes intentionally so children see that correcting left and right is part of learning.

Successful learning looks like children using precise positional language with confidence when describing locations or giving directions. They move accurately according to verbal instructions and can represent simple paths on paper. Confusion about left and right or linear-only movement should decrease as activities progress.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Direction Simon Says, watch for children who turn their bodies but still say the wrong direction when facing a new orientation.

  Have them repeat the instruction while pointing to their left shoulder after turning, linking the word 'left' to their physical side.

• During Classroom Grid Hunt, watch for children who treat grid labels as pictures rather than symbols.

  Pause the hunt and ask them to close their eyes while you move an object. Then have them open their eyes and locate it on the grid, reinforcing that the grid represents real space.

• During Follow My Map, watch for children who only give forward directions and ignore turns.

  Model a circular path with your finger on the map and say, 'Notice how we turn here.' Ask them to trace the path with their finger to feel the movement.

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Methods used in this brief

• Walk and Talk