Introducing the Coordinate System to Kindergarten Children: A Developmental Approach

The coordinate system is a fundamental tool for many daily activities, yet it is usually taught to children in middle school. Research suggests that children should be exposed to the coordinate system at a younger age, using methods appropriate to their developmental level. This paper presents a set of instructional activities designed to teach kindergarten children the basic concepts and principles of the coordinate system. The activities were implemented in two early childhood institutions in Istanbul, Türkiye. Arranged in a developmental progression from simple to complex and from concrete to abstract, they align with the children's developmental levels. We discussed what we learned from our implementations of the activities. Detailed suggestions are presented for teachers introducing young children to the coordinate system.