Interest in spatial activities predicts young children’s spatial ability development: A two-year longitudinal study

Studies have indicated the important impact of spatial abilities on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) achievement. However, little is known about the predictors of individual differences in the growth trajectory of spatial ability. Children’s interest in learning activities plays a significant role in their ability development in literacy, math, and science. Therefore, the current study explored the role of children’s interest in spatial activities in their spatial ability development. We hypothesized that children’s interest in spatial activities would positively predict both the initial level and subsequent growth rate of spatial ability. The spatial ability of 197 Hong Kong preschool children (mean age = 52.72 months and SD = 3.30 months in the first wave of spatial ability assessment Time 1]) was assessed four times over a two-year period, using a visual–spatial skills task. Their mothers ranked the children’s interest in various activities from 1 (most interested) to 13 (least interested) at Time 1. A growth curve analysis was performed to examine the relationships between interest in spatial activities at Time 1 and initial level and subsequent growth of spatial skills, controlling for parents’ expectations concerning spatial development, children’s interest in art activities, and demographics. The results showed that children’s interest in spatial activities significantly predicted their spatial ability growth (β = 0.252, p = .042), explaining 5.7% of the variance in growth, but was unrelated to the initial level of spatial skills. This finding highlights the importance of preserving and enhancing young children’s interest in spatial activities, among other activities, for the development of their spatial abilities.