THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDRENS SKETCH MAPS OF THE BRITISH-ISLES

Over 1,000 children aged 6 to 18 were asked to draw a free recall sket ch map of the British Isles. The resulting maps were assessed accordin g to their representation of shape and the relative location of politi cal units. Eight types of map were identified, showing a marked associ ation with children's age. Boys drew more detailed and accurate maps t han girls. The development of children's ability to represent small sc ale space is discussed and some implications are identified for cartog raphers and teachers as well as some directions for future research.