Can young children mentally rotate an image on a 3-D block and consequently make a prediction based on this mental rotation? Can they also see from another's point of view?

Imaging or 'seeing in the mind's eye' is one of the cognitive skills involved in the process of designing. It allows us to create internal models, enabling us to plan how things might be and speculate about the future. Mental rotation of an image or an object is part of this process of visualization and an essential cognitive skill in designing, but are young children able to rotate mentally? This paper grew from a case study with a child and forms part of a much larger research project into the emergence of design capability in the early years, with particular reference to modelling.