Children and Mapping

Children are exposed to maps from an early age. Map understanding progresses slowly and gradually from easy to difficult concepts. Theories of children’s spatial development, mainly deriving from psychological studies, have provided the theoretical basis for approaching the way children use maps. The results of three decades of theoretical and experimental studies offer insight into children’s thinking as to how they handle information while using maps, and also provide evidence regarding the development of concepts associated with the basic characteristics of maps. There is still a lot more to be said. Specialists on children and mapping persistently ask for map literacy, facing children as map users in the information technology era.