Children appear to learn about the world in many different ways. They come to school with varied experiences of people and places. In school you organise further geographical learning activities for them. But what can we glean from our understanding of how children’s minds develop and the effects of our teaching? Many research findings exist in this field. An awareness of research findings can enable you to:

■ discuss geographical education with more confidence; ■ provide evidence to assist in making decisions about planning and teaching strategies; ■ create a framework for assessment of children’s progress.