New research from the University of East Anglia suggests children begin developing the basic skills underlying map reading from the age of four.
The study, which is the largest of its kind, involved 175 children aged between two and five in a hiding game.
Researchers found that four-year-olds have spatial intelligence which enables them to use a scale model to find things in the real world, a precursor to map reading.
Lead researcher Dr Martin Doherty from UEA’s School of Psychology said: “We wanted to find out when children can use scale models or maps to learn things about the world”.
The hiding game consisted of showing the children a sticker hidden in a model of a room, and then asking them to locate another sticker in the same position in a different model of the same room.
Dr Doherty said: “The two and three-year-olds were not able to recognise that the spatial arrangements in the model rooms were the same. But from about four years old, they were able to use one model room as a guide to finding the object in the other.”
“This means that children start to develop the basic skills that underlie map reading from the age of four. Based on these findings, we predict children can read simple maps from around the age of four.
“Extending our methods to maps would help resolve a controversial developmental question.”
The study found that children's understanding of spatial correspondence develops in a sequence: object similarity, item-to-item correspondence, and spatial correspondence.
However, the reasons why these stages emerge at specific ages are unclear, and further research is needed to determine whether this developmental sequence is common to scale models and maps.
The study resolves a debate about whether understanding models is a representational ability or a spatial one.
A previous research claimed that understanding models showed an understanding of representation.
But the UEA team found that it is about understanding spatial layout, and that complex concepts like representation were not involved.
“This tells us that map-reading may be cognitively simpler than previously thought,” Dr Doherty said.
The findings suggest that this new spatial ability potentially lays the foundations for maths and science skills.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
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