Effects of a Geographic Experiential program on the Formation of Geographic Concepts in Young Children : Ability to Read and Represent Maps

지리적 체험활동 프로그램이 유아의 지리 개념 행성에 미치는 영향 : 지도 이해능력을 중심으로

This study examined the effects of a geographic experiential activity program on the ability to represent and to read maps(directions, perspectives, and symbols). The subjects were 44 5-year-old kindergarten children assigned to an experimental or a control group, with 22 children in each group. The geographic experiential activity program was developed and applied to the experimental group for 4 weeks. Results indicated that the experimental group was higher in reading and representing maps than the control group. Through the geographic experiential activity program, children came to be concerned about their living space, to be able to read and comprehend a simple map, and to represent a basic map with the use of directions, perspectives, and symbols.