Abstract:

Where is the main character in the story? Which path does he take? What objects are around him? How does he occupy the space? All these questions may arise in the minds of readers as they engage with a passage describing a setting, scenery, or route. These interrogations rely on spatial concepts that play a key role in constructing a coherent mental representation of the text and in supporting visualization processes. At first, however, there appears to be no dedicated tool to assess this dimension of spatial literacy, despite its importance for reading comprehension.

The aim of this experiment is therefore to identify ways to develop an assessment of spatial literacy, drawing inspiration from the protocol proposed by Gallina and Lautrey (2000). The study was conducted with 67 children aged 8 to 12, enrolled in grades 3 to 6 of elementary school. The main finding emerging from the statistical analyses is that reading comprehension ability, assessed through the L4 subtest of the ORLEC, correlates with the quality of the drawings produced by children when representing the route and map described in the story.

From a theoretical perspective, these results can be interpreted in light of models of text comprehension that emphasize the construction of situation models, in which spatial information constitutes a central dimension of meaning-making. The observed relationship suggests that the ability to externalize spatial representations through drawing may reflect the underlying processes involved in building such mental models.

Beyond these findings, this work opens up avenues for the development of assessment tools that integrate multimodal productions, such as drawings, to better capture specific components of literacy that are not easily accessible through traditional verbal measures. It also invites further research into the role of spatial processing in reading comprehension and its potential contribution to educational practices aimed at supporting diverse learners.

Keywords:

Spatial literacy, reading comprehension, educational practices, drawing.