Starting from kindergarten, the child is called to experience a variety of elements drawn from his learning environment, so as to facilitate his transition to primary school (MIUR, 1991; MIUR, 2012; MIUR, 2018). The international literature (Kaldenberg et al., 2015; NAEYC 2009) argues that, at the base of literacy or mathematical skills, it is necessary to refine specific precursors for subsequent learning, such as visual and auditory discrimination, phonological awareness, manual eye coordination, visual-verbal association and phonological memory. In researching empirical evidence of the link between visual-spatial intelligence and the preschool period, a body of knowledge emerges regarding the criteria and the conditions for promoting cognitive enhancement paths through the use of interactive games. This paper aims to present the design approach of the VIEP-app software model (Calvani, Zanaboni, 2018), a user-friendly application for computers, tablets and smartphones, intended for preschool children to increase their visual-spatial skills to be used both in presence and at a distance. The authors intend to demonstrate how an ad hoc software application, if placed in systematically structured activities, offers to children the opportunity to understand spatial relationships, by refining their ability to discriminate shapes and colours, to manipulate objects or to identify positions in the space (Vegliante, Miranda, 2020). From a methodological point of view, this app is part of a wider program consisting of playful-interactive sessions of exercises differentiated by levels of difficulty. After an initial training phase, the teacher guides and supervises the child in interacting with digital devices through a touch screen by dragging, assembling, rotating or manipulating the figures and receiving vocal feedbacks able to maintain high motivation. The created software model allows interfacing with multiple communication channels simultaneously so as to enrich traditional learning experiences. In conclusions, there are some summary considerations on the possible progress of the research and with the aim of demonstrating in which situations and in what ways this kind of enhancement program can contribute to the elaboration of visual-spatial representations in preschool age.
HOW TO IMPROVE VISUAL-SPATIAL SKILLS THROUGH A DIGITAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM-Proceedings
Sergio Miranda
;Rosa Vegliante
2021-01-01
Abstract
Starting from kindergarten, the child is called to experience a variety of elements drawn from his learning environment, so as to facilitate his transition to primary school (MIUR, 1991; MIUR, 2012; MIUR, 2018). The international literature (Kaldenberg et al., 2015; NAEYC 2009) argues that, at the base of literacy or mathematical skills, it is necessary to refine specific precursors for subsequent learning, such as visual and auditory discrimination, phonological awareness, manual eye coordination, visual-verbal association and phonological memory. In researching empirical evidence of the link between visual-spatial intelligence and the preschool period, a body of knowledge emerges regarding the criteria and the conditions for promoting cognitive enhancement paths through the use of interactive games. This paper aims to present the design approach of the VIEP-app software model (Calvani, Zanaboni, 2018), a user-friendly application for computers, tablets and smartphones, intended for preschool children to increase their visual-spatial skills to be used both in presence and at a distance. The authors intend to demonstrate how an ad hoc software application, if placed in systematically structured activities, offers to children the opportunity to understand spatial relationships, by refining their ability to discriminate shapes and colours, to manipulate objects or to identify positions in the space (Vegliante, Miranda, 2020). From a methodological point of view, this app is part of a wider program consisting of playful-interactive sessions of exercises differentiated by levels of difficulty. After an initial training phase, the teacher guides and supervises the child in interacting with digital devices through a touch screen by dragging, assembling, rotating or manipulating the figures and receiving vocal feedbacks able to maintain high motivation. The created software model allows interfacing with multiple communication channels simultaneously so as to enrich traditional learning experiences. In conclusions, there are some summary considerations on the possible progress of the research and with the aim of demonstrating in which situations and in what ways this kind of enhancement program can contribute to the elaboration of visual-spatial representations in preschool age.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
