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What Does Play Have to Do with It? A Concrete and Digital Spatial Intervention with 3-Year-Olds Predicts Spatial and Math Learning

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Title: What Does Play Have to Do with It? A Concrete and Digital Spatial Intervention with 3-Year-Olds Predicts Spatial and Math Learning
Language: English
Authors: Corinne A. Bower (ORCID 0000-0001-7375-2842), Laura Zimmermann (ORCID 0000-0002-3215-5248), Brian N. Verdine (ORCID 0000-0002-5350-5323), Tamara Spiewak Toub (ORCID 0009-0005-7406-4212), Kathy Hirsh-Pasek (ORCID 0000-0003-2947-4544), Roberta Michnick Golinkoff (ORCID 0000-0003-3299-9720)
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2025 61(3):461-481.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Contract Number: R305A140385
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Play, Spatial Ability, Intervention, Mathematics Skills, Word Problems (Mathematics), Preschool Children, Parent Background, Educational Attainment, Skill Development
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration, Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement
DOI: 10.1037/dev0001904
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: Spatial skills like block building and puzzle making are associated with later growth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning. How these early spatial experiences--both in concrete and digital platforms--boost children's spatial skills remains a mystery. This study examined how children with low- and high-parental education use corrective feedback in a series of spatial assembly tasks. We further ask whether this spatial learning increases near- and far-transfer spatial and math skills. U.S. preschoolers (N = 331) were randomly assigned to either a "business-as-usual" control or one of six spatial training groups (comprising concrete and digital training with modeling and feedback [MF], gesture feedback, or spatial language feedback). Children were trained for 5 weeks to construct 2D puzzles that match a model using a variety of geometric shapes. Pre- and posttests evaluated 2D and 3D spatial assembly, spatial language comprehension, shape identification, and math performance. Results indicate performance enhancement in trained 2D spatial assembly across all six trainings. Digital gesture feedback transferred, boosting 3D spatial assembly performance. Both concrete and digital spatial language feedback trainings increased shape identification performance. Concrete-MF significantly (and digital-MF marginally) increased word problem math performance for children with lower parental education. Finally, collapsing across conditions, both concrete and digital training increased overall spatial skills, especially for preschoolers with lower parental education. Transfer to overall mathematics performance was far less robust. Overall, early concrete and digital spatial assembly experiences seem to support preschoolers' spatial skill development but have a minor impact on mathematics skill development.
Abstractor: As Provided
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1502451
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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PubType: Academic Journal
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  Data: What Does Play Have to Do with It? A Concrete and Digital Spatial Intervention with 3-Year-Olds Predicts Spatial and Math Learning
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Corinne+A%2E+Bower%22">Corinne A. Bower</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7375-2842">0000-0001-7375-2842</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Laura+Zimmermann%22">Laura Zimmermann</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3215-5248">0000-0002-3215-5248</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Brian+N%2E+Verdine%22">Brian N. Verdine</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5350-5323">0000-0002-5350-5323</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tamara+Spiewak+Toub%22">Tamara Spiewak Toub</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7406-4212">0009-0005-7406-4212</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kathy+Hirsh-Pasek%22">Kathy Hirsh-Pasek</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2947-4544">0000-0003-2947-4544</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Roberta+Michnick+Golinkoff%22">Roberta Michnick Golinkoff</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3299-9720">0000-0003-3299-9720</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2025 61(3):461-481.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: 21
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  Data: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Play%22">Play</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Spatial+Ability%22">Spatial Ability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intervention%22">Intervention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Skills%22">Mathematics Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Word+Problems+%28Mathematics%29%22">Word Problems (Mathematics)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Children%22">Preschool Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Background%22">Parent Background</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Attainment%22">Educational Attainment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Skill+Development%22">Skill Development</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Beery+Developmental+Test+of+Visual+Motor+Integration%22">Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Woodcock+Johnson+Tests+of+Achievement%22">Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1037/dev0001904
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  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: Spatial skills like block building and puzzle making are associated with later growth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning. How these early spatial experiences--both in concrete and digital platforms--boost children's spatial skills remains a mystery. This study examined how children with low- and high-parental education use corrective feedback in a series of spatial assembly tasks. We further ask whether this spatial learning increases near- and far-transfer spatial and math skills. U.S. preschoolers (N = 331) were randomly assigned to either a "business-as-usual" control or one of six spatial training groups (comprising concrete and digital training with modeling and feedback [MF], gesture feedback, or spatial language feedback). Children were trained for 5 weeks to construct 2D puzzles that match a model using a variety of geometric shapes. Pre- and posttests evaluated 2D and 3D spatial assembly, spatial language comprehension, shape identification, and math performance. Results indicate performance enhancement in trained 2D spatial assembly across all six trainings. Digital gesture feedback transferred, boosting 3D spatial assembly performance. Both concrete and digital spatial language feedback trainings increased shape identification performance. Concrete-MF significantly (and digital-MF marginally) increased word problem math performance for children with lower parental education. Finally, collapsing across conditions, both concrete and digital training increased overall spatial skills, especially for preschoolers with lower parental education. Transfer to overall mathematics performance was far less robust. Overall, early concrete and digital spatial assembly experiences seem to support preschoolers' spatial skill development but have a minor impact on mathematics skill development.
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1037/dev0001904
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 21
        StartPage: 461
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Play
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Spatial Ability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Intervention
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Skills
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      – SubjectFull: Word Problems (Mathematics)
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      – SubjectFull: Preschool Children
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      – SubjectFull: Parent Background
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Attainment
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      – SubjectFull: Skill Development
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      – SubjectFull: Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration
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      – SubjectFull: Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement
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      – TitleFull: What Does Play Have to Do with It? A Concrete and Digital Spatial Intervention with 3-Year-Olds Predicts Spatial and Math Learning
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