地圖是現代人生活不可或缺的必需品，而用圖能力則為國民必備之基本生活技能，有關地圖用圖能力之培養，是始自國民小學教育階段；而該能力養成，主要列為「社會科教學」領域重要目標之一。本文以兒童認知發展理論為基礎，來探討國小高年級學童之地圖用圖能力。所採用項目包括：坐標定位、空間方位知覺、量測與符號化能力等四面向為架構，擬訂「國小兒童用圖能力評量標準」，以此做為編製學童用圖能力問卷設計依據。文中採台灣地區2721份問卷為基礎，探討該四項能力與年級、性別、城鄉差異等項目關聯。根據總體結果分析發現：都市學童地圖能力明顯優於鄉村與原住民；在性別方面則無明顯差異；在年級方面，6年級雖具有較佳之符號化能力，但適當教材可有效提升5年級學童之空間方位能力。文中並依據分析結果，初步擬定5-6年級之地圖能力指標，可供教學與教材設計參考。

Maps are indispensable tools for human life, and the ability to use map is essential portion of living skills. The formal education of map-use is originated from primary school. It was one of the important topic lessons in social education. In this paper, the map-use ability of primary school students of grade 5-6 has been discussed, that based on the theory of children's cognitive development. The studying items include four dimensions: coordinate location, spatial orientation, measurement, and symbolization. That has formed the basis of study-ability criteria on map-use in primary school, so as to design the sampling test of map-use ability. The number of sampling subjects of 2721 were chose from over Taiwan area, that were composed of three parts: urban, rural, and aboriginal. The relationships between the four-dimensions and the topics of regional, sexual, study-grade were discussed. The survey analysis has showed the following results: student's map-ability is higher in the urban schools, downgrade in rural, and the lowest in the aboriginal. Sexual difference is not obvious whatever the affection of regional difference. The age-difference in symbolization ability is significant that 6-grade is better than 5-grade students. But the well-organized textbooks can be used to promote the spatial orientation ability in 5-grade. In the final part of the paper, the map-learning competency indicators have been derived from discussion of the sampling results for 5-6 grade social courses.