title: The Development of Spatial Skills in Elementary School Students.
abstract: Through five waves of data collection, this longitudinal study investigated the development of spatial skills in 304 elementary school children (Mage= 7.64 years) as they progressed from the second to fourth grade. The study focused on whether multiple latent classes with different developmental profiles best explain development. Spatial skills were measured by tests featuring two-dimensional figures. Mathematics achievement was measured by the statewide end-of-year test and was included as a distal outcome variable. The role of covariates, including socioeconomic status, verbal working memory, and gender, was also explored. The results indicate a need to view two-dimensional spatial skills development as multidimensional with two developmental profiles predicted by socioeconomic status, verbal working memory, and gender. The developmental profiles predicted differences in mathematics achievement.
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alexeev
authors.affiliation: Ball State University.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1049-7255
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barned
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Horan
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D000076363:Academic Success; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*