New member - Derbyshire

[GillyBee]

Map reading is one of those things which can be associated with a lot of stress, especially if you are navigator and the driver is not happy with your performance. Taking the stress out of the situation can sometimes be half the battle when trying to improve the skill.
I would suggest looking for games and low stress activities to hone the skills and dont worry if you need to start at a very basic level or learn slowly The only important thing is that you are improving.

[hanhan]

One of my main weaknesses is that my spatial awareness, map reading, direction skills are very poor and I find it difficult to learn these skills. I can't find my way out of a telephone box! Does anyone have ideas how to develop these skills when they really don't come naturally?

Buy a local map of where you live. 1:25 000 scale and 1:50 000 scale.

From that find your house and or street. orientate the map on the ground so the map faces the same as the real street.

You now have a 2 dimensional representation of the 3D world.

Fold the map so your very local area is shown. Take it out and follow footpaths/roads/rivers that you know by heart and stop every 50 feet and look at the map and surroundings.

HTH.

That's a great idea. I'll definitely have a go at that. Thanks for sharing your ideas

[hanhan]

Map reading is one of those things which can be associated with a lot of stress, especially if you are navigator and the driver is not happy with your performance. Taking the stress out of the situation can sometimes be half the battle when trying to improve the skill.
I would suggest looking for games and low stress activities to hone the skills and dont worry if you need to start at a very basic level or learn slowly The only important thing is that you are improving.

Yes that is definitely true. I think the stress can also build up over time. After trying these things a few times and realising I wasn't particularly good, it then made it more stressful every time I tried it again. Probably best to go back to basics and in a low stress, low risk situation to make it as easy to learn as possible.

[dizzydays]

I feel your pain! I have a form of dyslexia that doesn't affect my spelling but oh boy - numbers , directions, spatial things - total nightmare. I once went round a roundabout so many times people were waving And the times I've headed the 'wrong' way up the A6 were a source of much amusement to everyone that knows me. During one frantic phone call to some friends I could hear them sniggering in the background and saying 'she's done it again hasn't she....she's going to end up in Scotland....'
Satnav doesn't help - I'm sure it's a conspiracy!

DD

[hanhan]

I feel your pain! I have a form of dyslexia that doesn't affect my spelling but oh boy - numbers , directions, spatial things - total nightmare. I once went round a roundabout so many times people were waving And the times I've headed the 'wrong' way up the A6 were a source of much amusement to everyone that knows me. During one frantic phone call to some friends I could hear them sniggering in the background and saying 'she's done it again hasn't she....she's going to end up in Scotland....'
Satnav doesn't help - I'm sure it's a conspiracy!

DD

does it happen to be Dyspraxia that you have? I do, that's why I'm so bad. On the one hand it is very annoying, on the other you get hours of laughter

[cbp125]

To improve your inbuilt direction system, try to find a very large flat countryside area, have a "good" map reader with you able to direct you and drive through all the local villages slowly and carefully looking for large structures like churches, high rise buildings, large trees. When you have visited them all, have your friend put the map away and name a town/village for you to drive back to but not using ANY main roads. Just little farm roads, the tiny crisscrossing networks that still all look the same. The key is to look up at the horizon and always keep track of the skyline. You will get very very lost, just keep trying and after a while it will start to click. Dont panic as you have your friend to guide you home when ready. Repeat this driving excersise regularly and you will really boost your inner compass.
For walking about on foot, start saying the street names as you move from street to street, eg "i am walking from Kingston Street into Smith Road". Keep doing this on every road you walk down. after lots of practise, get a friend to call you at random times and ask where you are, your reply should be "Im on Smith road heading away from Kingston Street". In this high tec modarn age, most people never look at road signs never mind looking up at the horizon.

This was the games new poplice officers had to learn and spent their puppy walking days with their tutor practising. It works I promise, just take your time and practise lots

[GillyBee]

And if you are dyslexic/dyspraxic the words/concepts of left and right can get very muddled. "Your other left" as I have heard used...
You may do better using hand movements or arrow symbols to help you remember a left or right turn. My sons find their memory of hand shapes and movements is much stronger than word based memory and can use this as an alternative.

[hanhan]

And if you are dyslexic/dyspraxic the words/concepts of left and right can get very muddled. "Your other left" as I have heard used...
You may do better using hand movements or arrow symbols to help you remember a left or right turn. My sons find their memory of hand shapes and movements is much stronger than word based memory and can use this as an alternative.

That's a great idea. I can't tell you the number of times I've stopped on a journey at services and then come out and started driving back the way I came instead of continuing on the journey. I still have to think about left and right even now. I do know the difference but I still have to think about it. I remember by thinking about which hand I write with and that's right, so the other must be left. It is disconcerting being a grown adult and having to think so hard about something so simple.

[dizzydays]

I feel your pain! I have a form of dyslexia that doesn't affect my spelling but oh boy - numbers , directions, spatial things - total nightmare. I once went round a roundabout so many times people were waving And the times I've headed the 'wrong' way up the A6 were a source of much amusement to everyone that knows me. During one frantic phone call to some friends I could hear them sniggering in the background and saying 'she's done it again hasn't she....she's going to end up in Scotland....'
Satnav doesn't help - I'm sure it's a conspiracy!

DD

does it happen to be Dyspraxia that you have? I do, that's why I'm so bad. On the one hand it is very annoying, on the other you get hours of laughter

hM..Not sure - someone told me it's dyscalculia - I have trouble with numbers, patterns , sequences, directions. I can't do anyone of those questions which are numbers or sometimes shapes and say 'which is the next in the series...'

DD

[rik_uk3]

Your poor 'Spatial Awareness' used to be called 'poor sense of direction' which is probably a better label to tag yourself with and one everyone understands.

If you've grown up in a town/city and not been out and about a lot camping/hill walking etc your sense of direction/where am I, will be poor but don't worry about it. One thing I'd suggest is you buy an Ordnance Survey map and a compass and learn to map read, plenty of videos about which will get up and running with the basics. Its worth looking for a local Ramblers Association group and get out with them. The groups attract all ages and they'll get you out on trips plus they are great for sharing things like navigation skills

https://www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/ ... inder.aspx

Resilience if a good word to use. A lot of 'preppers' think having plenty of food/toilet roll, a camp stove and box of candles is prepping and it is to a minor degree but its your resilience that will get you through the hard times; without real resilience a prepper will fail when it hits the fan regardless how well stocked and equipped they are.

Welcome aboard.